Saving This World
by cookie2718
Summary: OC x Alviss/Phantom pairing decided later & Ginta x Snow A girl decides to join the Chess Tournament to save MAR...and to knock a few heads together while she's at it. Full summary inside. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS Please read new chapter for details!
1. The Beginning of an Adventure!

There is simply not enough MAR fanfics on So, I have decided to remedy that little problem!! _MWHAHA!!!!!!! _Well, this is going to be several chapters long.

Here's the summary: There's this mysterious girl that has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (going to decide who she ends up with later), Ginta x Snow

Disclaimer: Why would I be writing fanfictions about MAR if I owned it??? All OCs and their ARMs belong to me though, unless I say so.

_Flashback & Thought mode_

Normal POV

ARM - the weapons

This chapter takes place before the Second War Game is declared. Knowledge of MAR is going to be required for later chapters. I'll try not to spoil things too much. This story takes elements from the manga and anime.

* * *

Chapter one – The Beginning of an Adventure!"

_Mom? Daddy? Where are you? Where is everyone? Where am I? Why am I so sleepy? Ah!! I remember! That strange…ugh…my…head…need to…sleep…_

"Are you alright?"

Eyes shot up open and their owner quickly got up and kneeled in a defensive position. An elderly lady was staring confusingly at the poor girlthat was so peacefully dozing a minute ago. The said girl immediately dropped her position and plopped down onto the grass in embarrassment. "Um…I'm sorry ma'am. I just wasn't expecting anyone…here…" The obaa-san began to chortle. "No, it's my fault. I wasn't being considerate. But…that position was very good." Her eyes began to twinkle. "Tell me child, where did you learn to fight?" The younger girl, who was beginning to stare vacantly up at the ethereal blue sky, snapped her full attention to the ma'am. She flushed a dark red. "My family…but I…don't know how to fight…that well…I only picked up on the defensive tactics…" She turned even darker with that revelation to a stranger. Obaa-san, however, was now looking at her quite seriously. "Well, you do it very well. Please, won't you come to my house for something to eat? My home is right down the hill." Seeing the young girl's hesitation, she added, "My name is Adonna. I want to make a deal with you." With that, Adonna turned and began heading down the hill.

"…Amy."

"Hmm?" Adonna paused and turned to face the young girl. She was looking straight at the old woman with a passion in her eyes that impressed her greatly. "My name is Amy Connors." With that, Amy stood up and began to trek down the hill. Adonna smiled, and began to follow.

---------------------------------

A while later:

"So, what were you doing up there on that hill, Adonna-obaasan?" Amy paused from sipping her drink. It looked a lot like tea, but it had this minty sweet aftertaste that Amy adored. "I was looking for a special plant." The old lady informed her, and then returned her gaze to Amy's arm. It was a charm bracelet with a solitary charm in the shape of a black diamond hanging off it. It seemed quite simple, but it was indeed the opposite…unknown to the young owner."You wanted to make a deal with me?" Adonna was startled out of her reverie with that simple question.

She looked with a new seriousness at Amy. "Amy…this world is under attack." At Amy's startled look, she added, "Yes, I know you're from another world. This world is called MAR Heaven. A group of fiends called the Chess No Kouma or the Chess Pieces are destroying MAR Heaven with the intent of taking it over." Amy's eyes became hidden behind her long, brown hair, so it was impossible to see what her eyes were thinking, but her mouth was twisted in a horrible grimace where she was gritting her teeth.

"A group called the Cross Guard which was started by a man from another world, like you, defeated the Chess in the First War Game, which was a gruesome tournament the Chess hosted, 6 years ago. However, they have revived and I'm positive that they're planning to start a Second War Game. The Cross Guard lost their spark after their leader, Danna, was killed by Phantom. I helped train many of the Cross Guard for the War Game. My deal is: I can train you to learn how to fight and use ARMs. I'll teach you everything you need to know about this world and I'll do it all one condition." Amy was still unresponsive, but Adonna continued anyway." I want you to not tell anyone where you truly came from, and to use the skills I'll teach you only for saving MAR Heaven and its citizens. Do you agre—"

"I'll do it."

Amy cut off the old woman with a new look of decisiveness. Adonna grinned and didn't ask what she meant.

"I'll save this beautiful world, and stop the Chess from hurting anyone else."

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Thankee-sankee for reading!!! Please review and stay tuned for another exciting chapter!!! 

obaa-san: old lady (I think)


	2. Who are You?

Thank you all my lovely reviewers!!! I hope that I will get better as time passes and that more and more people will review!

MAR-Plushie: Thankee-sankee for your review! I'm happy you did and it doesn't matter about spelling! .

MarHeavenAngel: I'll try and keep it cool and making it cooler!!

angelbott: I honestly have no idea who Amy should end up with, but I think I have it narrowed down to 2 options. Well, Amy means 'beloved' after all, haha.

xChibiTenshix: Yes! We should make some kind of petition to make a MAR category!

Summary: There's this mysterious girl that has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

Disclaimer: Cookie2718 – Amy, do the disclaimer thingy.

Amy – The disclaimer thingy?

Cookie – You know what I mean!!

Amy – MAR belongs to those people-whose-name-escapes-me-at-the-moment. NOT Cookie2718.

Cookie - …You didn't have to put it like THAT. I own Amy, her ARMs, and Adonna.

_Flashback & Thought Mode_

Normal POV (unless specified)

ARM – the weapons

Alright, this chapter is before Ginta and Jack meet Alviss while trying to save Babbo from the thieves. That means it's been like…about a month or so, I guess, after the first chapter.

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Chapter two – Who are you?

Seeing a girl walking through a canyon all by herself and wearing a large black sweater can make people think of a certain fairytale known as "Little Red Riding Hood". Yes, the story where the Wolf comes, eats her grandmother, and then eats her, then a huntsman comes along and cuts open the wolf and save them both. However, Little Red had a **RED** hood and she wasn't bedecked in magical accessories known as ARMs. But all this is beside the point.

Amy had completed her training (courtesy of Adonna) and was heading towards Lestarva. After all, Lestarva WAS practically the capital of MAR Heaven and the Chess had most likely taken it over. She was being a good citizen and going to liberate it. Of course, nothing seems to go the way you want it anymore…such as when you accidentally crash into two unwary travelers.

BAM!!!

Then when they got a good look at each other…. (Virtual cookies to anyone who guesses whose thinking what)

**AAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_(A shrimp and a monkey!!)_

**WAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_(A really cute girl…)_

**ORYAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_(A strange person!!)_

When the panic subsided and everyone stopped screaming their lungs out (Not Babbo, he's too dignified for THAT.), they looked curiously at one another. "Umm…." The 'shrimp' and the 'monkey' diverted their attention to the 'strange person'. She seemed to be about a year or so older than them, and she was wearing jean shorts that came down to her knees, a black sweater that seemed too big for her, and wore (as far as they could see) one ARM, a bracelet with a solitary charm. She had long brown hair that was tied up and her eyes matched the shade of her hair. She seemed quiet, but they could sense a hidden passion radiating from within her. She didn't seem like a Chess, but still, you couldn't be too care—

"Hi, I'm Ginta!!! What's your name?!"

…Way to ruin the cautious mood I was creating, idiot. Anyways…

Amy's face went from this: cautious and careful, to this: O.O;

Now, since the party seemed too innocent and stupid to be Chess, she decided to take a chance. "My name is Amy. It's nice to meet you." Now, everyone in the vicinity was smiling happily at the prospect new friends who weren't going to stab you in the back later. (AN: I'm really ruining this, aren't I?) After quick intros from everyone, they began the interrogation.

"What are you doing here?"

Yep, this brilliant question was asked by everyone at the exact same time. "I'm traveling to--""Ginta!!!" Jack (the monkey) had chosen now to interrupt Amy's explanation. "There's---"

THWACK!

An arrow embedded itself neatly in the tree next to Amy. The poor girl immediately jumped about 10 feet and squeaked. The owner of the arrow that took about 5 years off of Amy's life jumped down into the clearing. She narrowed her eyes. "You! You're from Luberia, aren't you?" "What's Luberia?" This innocent question from Ginta caused everyone to face fault. "You didn't take anything from these travelers, did you?" Amy continued to fire questions at the thief. The thief grinned and began his introduction. "My name's Stanley and these are the Stanley Bandits! As matter of fact, this boy WAS one of our 'customers'." Ginta's eyes narrowed. "Hey! You're the guys who took Babbo!" He pointed an accusatory finger at the supposed ringleader. "You going to fight me, kid?" Stanley leered.

…

…

…

"It's unfair to fight me unarmed! Gimme Babbo so we can have a fight!" Ginta stated childishly.

Stanley sweatdropped, then immediately deposited the squirming bag he was carrying on his shoulder to the ground. "No way kid! How stupid do you think I am?!" Amy murmured, "Pretty stupid if you ask me…" Stanley swerved to face her with a snarl. "I heard that!! Prepare for the ending of your natural life!!!" As Amy reached for her katana ARM, he froze. She looked at him with a confused look until she realized what was wrong. _That's Sealing Skull, a Darkness ARM! No one in Luberia would dare betray their own comrades, so that means…there's someone else nearby._ "Ginta, Jack!" The two boys snapped their attention to her, ignoring the bandits they just attacked. "There's someone with powerful magic nearby! Be on your guar—""I could say the same for you, Missy!" A particularly burly bandit grabbed her from behind and began to choke her. "AMY!!!" Jack and Ginta (who reclaimed Babbo) began to run over to Amy's attacker.

WHACK!

The burly one fell unconscious instantly and Amy was free to drink in air. She turned around to see a cloud unveiling…

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Uh...I accidentally uploaded it into the wrong place...I'M SO SORRY!!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! Also, please review and encourage more people to read this story!!! Thankee-sankee! 


	3. Do I Know You?

I'm sorry about the wait, all my readers and reviewers! It seems that I have…other things to do but I will try to update as fast as possible. I have a lot of plans for this story, so just wait!! I promise that I WILL finish this fic by the end of this year…that's not very reassuring, is it?  
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xChibiTenshix: My very first reviewer! Maybe I should host a petition thing to email to the website!

MAR-Plushie: I'M SORRY!!! I seem to have forgotten that I don't like cliffhangers either…I'll try not to do it anymore…

angelbott: I'm trying to keep this story as free-flowing as possible…I hope I'm doing a good job at it.  
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Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?  
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Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow  
---------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: Cookie – WHEEEEE!!!!!!! SUGAR HIGH!!!!!

Cast – O.O

Amy – I was created by this weirdo?

Cookie – EVERYONE! LET'S SING THE DOOM SONG!!! DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOMY DOOM DO—(passes out)

Ginta – FINALLY! Cookie2718 doesn't own me! Or the other people 'cept Amy and the old lady and their ARMs.

Amy - …That sounded SO educated, Ginta.

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_Flashback & Thought mode_

Normal POV

ARM – the weapons  
-------------------------------

This chapter is following episode 5…sorta. If I made a mistake in the last chapter with following episode 4, I'm sorry. I was using my memory of the manga and memories of screenshots I had seen for that episode.

* * *

Chapter 3 – Do I know you?  
_Recap:_ "_Ginta, Jack!" "There's someone with powerful magic nearby! Be on your guar—""I could say the same for you, Missy!" "AMY!!!" She turned around to see a cloud unveiling…_ _: End Recap_

A tall, thin figure was standing in the midst of the smoke, next to a pile of knocked out thieves. Amy sensed a powerful aura from him and was cautious…BUT, whoever-he-was HAD saved their lives and hers so he couldn't be THAT ba—

"Darkness ARM, Kago No Tori!"

While Amy was assessing whoever-he-was's appearance, he had pulled out an ARM and then…POOF! Jack was now a bright green bird trapped in a cage. Ginta was shocked, Amy was surprised and a fairy with bright green hair was pointing and laughing at poor Jack. _That fairy's laugh is getting on my nerves…_Amy pulled out one of her ARMS from a pocket.

"Darkness ARM, Zipper Seal!"

Quick as wink, an invisible zipper pulled itself across the annoying pixie's mouth. Now, she was struggling to pull her lips apart. Amy smirked and snickered softly. "Serves her right for laughing at someone who was caught off guard…" The effects on Amy were that she was experiencing pain in her right foot. The ARM wasn't particularly strong, so it would wear off soon. Suddenly, she felt a blast of ice aimed at the back of her head. A little frightened, she turned around hesitantly. Let's just say, if looks could kill, Amy would've been dead as soon as she made eye contact with the rescuer/attacker. _I guess that fairy was with him…_ The figure turned out to be boy who looked no more than 16, and he had blue-black hair and beautiful blue eyes. Beautiful…but sad and determined. Suddenly, Amy jolted and began to stare at him with shocked eyes.

_No way!! Could that be…?_

"…Alviss?" She found her voice after a few tries. His glare melted into a look of surprise. "How do you know my name?"

_Shoot! I forgot!_

"Umm…I SAW YOU WITH THE CROSS GUARD 6 YEARS AGO!!! YEAH, THAT'S IT!!!!" Amy began rambling and it was obvious that she was trying to make an excuse. Ginta poked her and whispered, "Amy, you know him?" Amy ceased trying to lie and answered Ginta's question. "Um…not personally. Alviss was the youngest member of the Cross Guard during the War Games 6 years ago." Ginta was scratching his cheek like he was trying to comprehend what just came out of Amy's mouth.

"Um…What are a Cross Guard and a War Game?"

Amy's expression: o.O _How can anyone NOT know what they are?_ Is what she meant to think, except she said it out loud. Ginta's expression turned into one of slightly hurt cockiness. "Well, I'm from another world!! I don't a lot about this place yet!"

_ANOTHER WORLD??!!!!_

Amy's thoughts were freaking out, yet she managed to keep it to a simple question. "You mean, Earth?" Ginta began to look joyfully at her. "You're from Earth, too??!" Suddenly, she had an over-bearing Ginta and a slightly questioning Alviss staring at her. She did something neither of them was expecting…she evaded the question by turning to Alviss and began to question him. "Anyway, why did you turn Jack into that?" She pointed her finger at the now silent Jack. Ginta promptly forgot about the question and pointed at Alviss. "You're the one who brought me here, aren't you?" Alviss ignored Amy and said, "As you suspect, I'm the one who brought you to MAR Heaven. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ginta then looked surprised. "MAR Heaven? That's the name of this place." He then smiled happily. "Then it really was you that called me here?! You're the one who let me live my dreams?!" Alviss merely looked at Ginta blankly. "I really should give you my thanks…but before that, I want to ask you something." Amy dropped her question and was blending into the scenery to listen to their conversation. "Why'd you do something like that to Jack? Turn him back to normal!" Amy's expression: - -; Alviss didn't respond to the demand and began to stare at Babbo. Amy could hear him murmur, "It appears that my 'bet' may have been a failure.", and saw his hand lightly touch the chain he wore. "GINTA, WATCH OUT!! HE'S ACTIVATING AN ARM!!" Amy yelled a warning a moment too late.

"Guardian ARM, 13 Totem Pole Chain!"

Suddenly, Ginta and Babbo were lifted into the air on top of a giant Totem Pole and Amy was also hoisted on top of one. She gripped the top of the pole for dear life as it climbed higher and higher into the air. _I…hate…HEIGHTS!!!_ She began to breathe heavily and clutched the top tighter while clenching her eyes shut. Ginta was standing and Amy could hear him scream the entire way up. She suddenly felt the Totem Pole come to a complete stop. "Uwah, what a view!" Ginta exclaimed in wonder. Amy managed to ground out a few words,"Ginta, is this the right time for this?" Ginta looked sympathetically at Amy once he saw her position. Suddenly, they heard Alviss call up, "Do you…have any idea what you've done? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT ARM IS??!!" Amy knew, but she also knew the question was for Ginta. "OF COURSE NOT!!! I JUST GOT HERE!! AND BESIDES…BABBO DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS, SO HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW??!!! NOW LET US DOWN, CAN'T YOU SEE AMY'S SCARED OF HEIGHTS??!!" Ginta pointed at Amy who now squeezing the Totem Pole's life away. Amy distinctly heard a snap coming from below before the Totem Pole disappeared from her grasp and she began to plummet towards the ground. She snapped her eyes open and quickly grabbed Ginta's hand who in turn grabbed Babbo's handle and screamed," NATURE ARM, PILLOW CUSHION!!"

POOF!

A large, and fairly comfortable, pillow appeared beneath them and saved them from gaining any damage. "That wouldn't have caused substantial damage. It seems MAR Heaven's gravity is far lower than what you have at your world. That's why you should find both strength and stamina increased here." Amy wanted to strangle Alviss, but at the moment, she was too busy trying to calm down her speeding heart. Ginta stumbled off the pillow and yelled,"Why…WHY YOU!!!" Meanwhile, it seems the effects of the Zipper Seal had worn off and the 'annoying pixie' screeched, "Alviss!! She used a sealing ARM on me!!" while pointing accusingly at the worn Amy. Alviss snapped his full attention over to her and comfortingly said," Don't worry, Bell. She didn't mean to hurt you I'm sure." He looked over at the newly-refreshed Amy and stared pointedly at her.

"You're right…I was just trying to drown out her obnoxious voice!!"

Amy then ran and aimed a high kick at Alviss. He blocked it and backed up a bit. (AN: I stink at writing fight scenes, so I'm apologizing in advance.) Amy then back flipped over to Ginta and Babbo. Babbo and Ginta looked angry to say the least. "Shall we, Ginta? This boy must be taught some manners." Babbo looked like he was ready to rip Alviss apart. "He may have been the one who brought me here, but this is going too far!! He's probably after you too!" With that, Ginta rushed forward and snapped forward Babbo's chain. Babbo rushed forward towards the stoic Alviss who jumped over Babbo and began to speak. "As long as you possess that ARM…unlimited numbers of robbers and bandit guilds will come searching for it." Then, he threw out what seemed like an odd question to Amy. "How many opponents have you had so far?" Ginta suddenly stopped and began to scratch his cheek. "Uh…lessee…seven?" Amy face-faulted while thinking, _How in the world has he survived this long?!_ Alviss answered, "Not bad for a child… (Ginta !)But honestly…if I hadn't taken care of the rest of this gang, things would have gotten dangerous." Then, he pointed out something that made Amy's blood freeze. "Besides, if you aren't eventually beaten by the unaffiliated bandit groups, then the 'Chess no Koma' will come and kill you themselves."

* * *

That was a long chappie! It's for waiting so patiently for this chapter! I won't take a long time next time! Please review and continue to be patient! 

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Kago No Tori – Caged Bird

Chess no Koma - Chess Pieces


	4. Explanations and a dog?

I'm giving up my sleep for this…not that I mind, actually. It's just I'm afraid that I'll fall asleep at the computer, because then my parents would get mad at me. So I'm writing this chapter in increments while listening to music off Youtube. Thank you for waiting all the peoples out there!!

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MarHeavenAngel: OH NO!!! Everyone knows I'm crazy now…although people might have figured it out by looking at my profile (lol).

MAR-Plushie: It's not that I absolutely despise Bell…her only redeeming feature seems to be that she can always make Alviss smile…I WANNA DO THAT!!!! Oh well…It's something that happens with extremely close friends.

xChibiTenshix: I'm actually going to do that! Next chapter, instead of posting an actual chapter, I'll host a petition! So, please tell any other MAR fans of that would be interested!

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Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

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Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

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Disclaimer: Cookie – EVERYONE! GATHER AROUND THE CAMPFIRE!!!

Cast – What campfire?

Cookie – The one right there, you idiots! (Chucks campfire, burning logs and all, at Nanashi's head)

Nanashi – MY HAIR!!! (Does funny dance while trying to get fire out of his hair)

Cast – O.O

Cookie – DO THE RAIN DANCE, NANASHI!!!

Amy – You see, none of MAR or its characters or storyline belongs to the psychopath writing this story. Only I and the old lady from the 1st chapter and both of our ARMs belong to her…I'M SCARED NOW!!!

Cookie – NOW ON WITH THE STORY!!!! (Finally!)

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_Flashback & Thought Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis mode**

_**Super emphasis mode**_

------------------

This chapter is a continuation of episode 5/ Chapter 12 of MAR. I'll be using stuff from both the anime and the manga, so it will be slightly variated from the actual chapter/episode. Oh, one more thing. The Doom Song belongs to the guy who made Invader Zim. Other than that, please enjoy this story! I figured out how to do the special Ä! Whee!

* * *

Chapter 4: Explanations and…a dog?

_Recap:_

_Then, he pointed out something that made Amy's blood freeze. "Besides, if you aren't beaten by the unaffiliated bandit groups, then the 'Chess no Koma' will and kill you themselves."_

_: End Recap_

Amy shuddered and looked at her tightly clenched hands and only looked up when Ginta questioned, "Chess…no Koma?" Amy sighed softly and began a rather long explanation. (AN: twitch…ZZZZZZ) "MÄR-Heaven fell into the hands of an evil group called the Chess no Koma or 'Chess Pieces' 6 years ago. They retained control over extremely powerful ÄRMs. Soon, however, many powerful ÄRM users joined together and the Chess's power disintegrated. "Finally, the War Game ended.", added Alviss. "The leader of the Chess met his end, and the rest of their forces fled away to parts unknown and haven't been heard from since. _**However…"**_

"_**The Chess are making their move towards Reconstruction!"**_

Alviss ended his part of the lecture with a dark look on his face. He then reached over and punched Ginta harshly in the face. "GINTA!!!!" Amy screamed in surprise. "HURRY AND THROW ME!!!" Babbo was freaking out as well, apparently. His face had a scared expression on it. "Now, to get straight to the point, I **wanted** you to help me erase the Chess no Koma for good!" Amy: --; _His persuasive skills are severely lacking…wait…he used past tense!_ She straightened up with a hardened look as Ginta yelled, "I DON'T GET IT!!! THEN WHY'D YOU BEAT ME UP LIKE THAT??!!" "Because you're weak." Alviss had this small mocking smile on his face. "I seem to have bad luck choosing outsiders…I was under the impression that all people from your world were endowed with great powers. Eyesight, hearing, physical strength…unheard of growth potential—"As Alviss prattled on; Amy was getting sick to her stomach just hearing his voice. _There is no world without suffering and evil, just as there are no people without weakness…why can't he realize that?_ "Actually…our commander in battle against the Chess…was a man from your world." Ginta's eyes widened considerably, as did Amy's.

…_Danna-san?_

"He was far stronger than you." The explanation brought Amy out of her little reverie. "But— there is no longer…any chance that we will meet him again." Alviss's mood changed to one of melancholy and Amy's eyes grew shadowed with pain. _That's right…I almost forgot._ "In order to defeat the Chess once again, the powers of an outsider are again required! (AN: Alviss makes us seem like super-humans…) So I placed my bet— it could be a warrior with potential for great strength. Or the worst could happen and he could fall into the clutches of the Chess and become our enemy…"

"Yet all I received was a worthless brat."

Ginta twitched and began seething. Amy, however, was beyond livid. _No one starts out a Hercules…they work their way up to becoming one. Danna-san was the same way!_ "But if something as valuable as Monban Pierrot called on you…well, I figured I'd give you a crash course in fighting. However, there's a need to punish you!" Alviss pointed sharply past Ginta and at Babbo. "The ÄRM that you unsealed, 'Babbo'!! That is—""WAIT!" Alviss paused his accusation to face the one who interrupted him.

It was Amy.

"You can't expect him to know everything about MÄR-Heaven as soon as he arrives! It's completely unfair!" She shot hotly at the disturbed teen. "You should know what this is as well as I do!" He snapped at her, losing his normal calm.

"That's the ÄRM that belonged to the Commander of the Chess, Phantom!!!"

Ginta and Babbo: O.O (AN: sort of…it was more dramatic looking…) A horrible image of Phantom swinging a Babbo with a blood-thirsty expression on his face in the middle of a burning field came instantly into Amy's mind. "That was the weapon Phantom used to kill his adversaries! So many men…so many dozens of men!!" Alviss suddenly turned to Amy. "And you! If you knew all this, then you should have told him! He is your comrade, isn't he?!" Amy narrowed her eyes and grit out, "I just met him! I'm not in his group!" Ginta stiffened and his eyes became hidden under his hair. Alviss and Amy began to argue back and forth and Amy vaguely heard Babbo say, "No…lies…I'm…a gentleman would never…" "It's not a lie." Alviss had heard and turned around, ceasing the argument. "You are…"

"SHUT YER TRAP!!!"

Everyone in the vicinity, (Alviss, Babbo, Amy, and Jack), stared at Ginta. "We may have just met a few days ago…but the Babbo I know is stupid…he foolishly tries to follow the ways of a gentleman…but…"

"HE'S STILL MY FRIEND!!! (AN: The word Ginta spoke is too vulgar for this rating…that and I hate swearing. So I'll put something else there.) $#!"

Amy suddenly had this sudden feeling down her spine. The kind she would get when something else was happening at the exact same time. An image of a hand with stitching up the arm and obscenely long fingernails came bursting out of the ground. No one paid attention to her, though, as Jack nodded his head deeply while Babbo…: o.O "Aren't you slightly mistaken?" _Great, there's my new least favorite voice…no wonder he hangs out with Tinkerbell over there. _(AN: I'M SO SORRY!! It's just that I plan on having them start out with them disagreeing over views and ideals…I'M SORRY!!!) "What's more, it's the ARM used by Phantom! _**IT MUST BE DESTROYED!!!**_"

"Now, give it to me." _Alviss REALLY needs to take a class on persuasion…like 'Persuasion 101' or something…_

Ginta gave a surprised look before coming up with his mature answer…sticking his tongue out at the offending bishounen. "…I see." Alviss stretched his arms out wide and Totem Poles began springing up from the ground.

"It seems there's a need for further lessons."

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INTERMISSION

Cookie: WHEE!!!! I'm here to answer any questions and provide bonuses from the cast!

Cast: We never agreed to this…

Cookie: Yes you did!

Ginta: You threatened us!

Cookie: Whatever, now any complaints, questions, comments, etc?

Jack: I have one!

Cookie: YOU ARE LUCKY CALLER 8! Whadda you want?

Jack: …WHAT THE HEY IS GOING ON??!!

Cookie: A fanfic story break-point. DUH!

Cast: …--;

Cookie: Now, any person wishing to have a question answered during Intermission will have to review and include their question/comment. Flames are not appreciated and will not be selected to appear during Intermission. Additionally, Flames will be used to set Nanashi on fire.

(Shows Nanashi, tied up on a wooden stake with wood at his feet)

Nanashi: I DON'T WANNA BE ON FIRE!!!

Cookie: Tell that to the readers. I couldn't care less. JK! I LUV YOU, NANASHI!! (Glomps him)

Nanashi: This isn't so bad…

Cookie: Okays! Back to the show!

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Ginta, Amy, and Babbo were dodging a swarm of…RABID CHIPMUNKS!! Well, it was actually just a swarm of Totem Poles. Amy decided to take the stealthy approach and dodge at the absolute last second. Ginta was charging head-on and rebounding off the Totem Poles. Amy saw out of the corner of her eye that Ginta was taking in everything around him and that he was towing the screaming Babbo behind him. He must have been thinking about surveying his surroundings apparently, because he screamed, "And break through!!" while charging head-on at Alviss. _He'll never get that way—_Amy's thoughts were cut off as the hammer part of Babbo slammed the ground in front of Alviss. The teen winced but straightened with a shocked look in his eyes as Ginta exclaimed…"Oi."

_**SMASH!!!**_

Ginta pounded his head against Alviss' head, both closing their eyes from the impact. As Alviss staggered back, Ginta stood his ground. "Yosh." Amy was impressed, to say the least. _The kid's tougher than I thou—_"I finally got a hit in….ararah?" Ginta was wobbling and a bump was visible on his head. Amy: O.O; _On second thought…maybe not._ Suddenly, Babbo finally decided to stop trailing behind and make a smash entrance.

Literally.

His body made a large 'BAM!' sound as it made contact with Ginta's skull. Ginta was re-acquainted with the ground as Babbo sheepishly apologized, "S-sorry Ginta. Fo-forgive me! Uhahaha—"Unfortunately, anger is stronger than the sense of hearing, apparently…

"WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING FOR, ANYWAY?!!"

"YOU WERE FLIPPING ME AROUND, SO I COULDN'T CONTROL IT!!"

"IT'S YOUR ENTIRE FAULT FOR JUMPING AROUND WITHOUT THINKIN' ABOUT THE GUY STUCK TO YOU, BAKA!!!"

Amy was watching this heated exchange between Boy and ÄRM with an amused smile on her face. _They act like they can't stand each other, but these guys are probably as close as best friends._ "It's true; you seem to move differently now." For the moment, Amy had forgotten Alviss. She looked at him; he was staggering and blood was running down his face, a memento of Ginta's headbash. "You may have more potential than I first believed…", he murmured.

"But what good will it do?"

"That is an ÄRM that has killed countless comrades in the past." With a heavy amount of blood running down his face and onto his shirt, Alviss looked nightmarish. "Babbo can't attack anything by himself! Everything you said is the user's fault!" Ginta wasn't going to be perturbed by a bloody Alviss. Alviss didn't seem to care how he looked. "What you say could very well be true." Alviss admitted. "With his memories returned…when Babbo ends his friendship with you, will you say the same thing again? It may not seem like it, but I'm also worried about your life." _Well, you sure had ME fooled…_Amy was still angry at the boy who had forced her into the air like that. "And as things are going, Babbo may someday change from how he is now…and cause far greater danger to you than you could ever imagine!"

"_**Because Phantom is coming."**_

Alviss was steadily bringing forth unpleasant scenes into Amy's mind that she had locked deep in her memory. She was getting more and more fearful in his presence. _…He changed so much. All because of HIM…_Amy looked at the solemn boy's face. The blood flow was still thick, but it had significantly clotted. Amy's conscience was going haywire and Amy was getting fidgety and sweaty. Amy's conscience wasn't about to let someone within 100 miles of her die of blood loss. She took out a winged ÄRM from her pocket and moved closer to Alviss. (AN: She has everything in her pockets, doesn't she?)

"Holy ÄRM, Wings of Healing!"

A white-winged angel flew gracefully over to Alviss and touched his shocked face gently. (AN: It's an ÄRM for crying out loud…) The blood flow lessened and stopped and the blood on his face melted away. The healer then bowed and returned to her accessory. Alviss touched his own face hesitantly to find it clean of any trace of blood. He bowed his head, embarrassed, and whispered lightly, "Thank you." Amy beamed, "You're welcome!" oblivious to the light tinge on Alviss's cheeks and the glare of a very angry fairy.

"THAT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE!!" That outburst reminded Amy that the little blond other-worlder was still there. "THIS PHANTOM GUY'S ALREADY DEAD, RIGHT!!!??" Alviss moved away from Amy, who was now beginning to stutter. "Phantom…can never be killed." The Sentence of Doom© had now escaped Amy's lips. Alviss was now moving his 13 Totem Poles again. He had apparently tag-teamed with Amy on explanations.

"He's been dead from the very beginning. _**He's a living corpse."**_

To say Ginta and Babbo were shocked was an understatement. They were now staring at Amy (who was twiddling her fingers) and Alviss (who was moving his favorite Guardian ÄRM.).

"_**He will certainly rise again."**_

The Totem Poles divided into sections and, with a point of Alviss's finger, they zoomed toward Ginta. Amy was now what is known as 'the innocent bystander'. _This must be payment for the healing or something…_Ginta, however, was caught off-guard and was seemingly crushed by the Totem Pole pieces. As the Totem Pole Pieces swooshed by, Alviss began explaining even further. "You see, there's a chain reaction when Babbo's seal is lifted— that and the seal placed on Phantom are interrelated…Phantom's seal will be broken as well!! _**When that happens…"**_

"_**What could you, as you are now, possibly do?"**_

Alviss's eyes were staring at the clearing where Ginta was as if he expected an answer. Amy suddenly gasped. A figure was walking out of the smoky area. She heard a weakened reply.

"_**I won't give him up…"**_

It was clear now that Alviss had hit his target. Ginta had bruises and scrapes all over him. "I promise. I'll never let anyone take Babbo…so please don't hurt him." Amy was stunned. _Ginta reminds me of…_

_Flashback:_

"_Please don't hurt him!!" A little boy, no older than nine, was clutching the bloody body of a Cross Guard. His eyes were teary, but he refused to let them fall as he stared defiantly up at a darkened figure…_

_: End Flashback_

_That was 6 years ago…_Amy suddenly pinched herself to bring herself back to the situation. "He's…my…friend…" Ginta managed to whisper this before he fell unconscious. Alviss's expression showed he was stunned that someone could think about somebody else while they were so hurt. Amy's expression was hidden as she decided to pull out a large hat and put it on. "The moon is so beautiful tonight…" Amy said, loud enough to cause Alviss to stiffen at her words. "I'm sure that even the dead would appreciate it…" agreed Babbo. Suddenly he whirled around.

"I'LL RESIST ANYTHING THAT TRIES TO CHANGE ME!!! AND IN RETURN, YOU'LL NEVER LAY A FINGER ON GINTA, OR YOU'LL REALLY SEE A MONSTER!!!"

_It looks like Babbo feels the same—_"I won't say he's a friend. The boy's my servant!!" _…never mind._ "As the master, it is my job to see to the safety of those under me. It's only expected from a gentleman!" Although Babbo's speech made Amy laugh a little, she admired the courage that he seemed to radiate. The desire to be a gentleman seemed to surpass all his other wants…Alviss (who had turned to stare at Babbo) closed his eyes in what seemed like acceptance. The wind blew in their direction, and Amy felt sleepy…

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Next Morning:

Amy was running herself ragged, but she didn't care. She just **had** to catch up to those two…AHA! Up ahead, she spied a tall figure with a fairy trailing in front of him. The bits and snatches she heard of the conversation were all she needed to hear. "WAIT!!!" At that shout, the figure turned around with surprise in his eyes. As soon she caught up, she immediately sat down and began to catch her breath. She felt curious (and furious) looks, but she couldn't care less at the moment. As soon as her supply of air was replenished, she stood up. "I wanted (huff) to apologize (huff) to you and…um…" "My name is Bell!" The fairy seemed a lot happier now that she knew why the 'evil-witch-of-sealing' was there. "Yes! I wanted to apologize to you and Bell! I'm so sorry that I was rude." With that, Amy bowed very low. "There's nothing you need to apologize for." Curiously, Amy lifted her head and cocked to the side, much like a dog.

Alviss was staring at his shoes as though he was embarrassed. "I…was very rude yesterday as well…so I want to apologize as well." Then, he bowed low as well. Amy was…: o.o? "Um…I guess this means we're even?" With that comment…Alviss began to chuckle. Amy couldn't help and began to snicker as well. Soon, they both burst out laughing. Bell was confused as to why the two lunatics were laughing at something somebody had said. After a fit of laughing and a few wiped tears, Alviss and Amy straightened themselves up. They smiled at each other (Amy – beaming, Alviss – gently) and Amy then ran off down the road, waving her hand energetically as a child would. She looked so cute that Alviss couldn't resist waving back and Bell waved back just as energetically at the girl with whom she had reconciled with.

They both lowered their hands and continued to stare at the spot where she was at. "Bell…could you feel it?" The little pixie nodded her head. "Yes. Her magical power is enormous." Alviss was silent then smiled slightly and said, "The bet is still in place." Bell, unfortunately, doesn't like Alviss's happy faces. She puffed her cheeks out angrily.

"BELL DOESN'T LIKE IT WHEN ALVISS DOESN'T ACT LIKE A DEVIL!! WHAT'S WITH THE HAPPY FACE?! BELL PLACES A BAN ON THAT FACE!!"

That echoed throughout the forest…but some people were too oblivious to listen to it. Namely…Amy, Ginta, Jack, and Babbo. Yep…

When Amy got back, Babbo was on the ground with a bruised cheek and angry expression, Jack was looking at Babbo like he deserved it, and Ginta was looking off into the sky. Suddenly, he proclaimed, "Jack…I'm gonna get stronger!" Amy smiled at the sight, but it was replaced with surprise as soon as all three males rushed over to her and latched themselves onto her legs. "Gah! What are you doing?!" "STAY WITH US!!!" Amy ceased shaking her legs and an 'O' formed on her mouth. "We need you to help us defeat the Chess!" _I never said I was leaving…_ "We want your beautiful company!" _That pervy Jack…_ "A gentleman could always use more servants!!" _…no comment._ "So…"

"PLEASE STAY!!"

The looks all three of them gave could rival puppies and kittens. _Must…not…give…in…_ "ALRIGHT, BE QUIET!!!" At once the whining and blubbering ceased. Amy sighed. "Time for ground rules! 1. I'm NOT part of your team. 2. I will continue to travel with you and be your friend. 3. Come War Game time…the Chess won't know what hit them!" At the last part, Ginta and Jack broke out into massive smiles.

"Alright!!"

-----------------

The Next Morning:

As soon as Ginta, Jack, Amy and Babbo woke up…Ginta had wrapped Babbo's chain around his body and began sprinting, doing push-ups, and lifting heavy rocks and convinced Jack to join him. Amy was working hard too…sitting in the shade. She was 'supervising' their training, but in reality, she was trying to fully wake up. Jack was trying desperately to keep up with Ginta, but without much luck. "You're doing great boys! Do another lap!" Amy was also sideline cheerleader/coach/torture master.

"WHY AREN'T YOU DOING ANYTHING??!!" Poor Jack was at his wit's end. Amy grinned cockily at him and at the slightly questioning Ginta and Babbo. "Tell you what; I'll give you my training schedule to use. It's 100 percent guaranteed to make you stronger!" At this, Ginta yelled, "Alright, let's do it!" Amy then smirked evilly. "Of course, the training involves torture, insanity, and loss of contact with the natural world." Ginta, Babbo, and Jack: O.O "Um…never mind." Ginta then turned and dashed off. "I'm going for another lap." Amy then began a peaceful nap while listening to Babbo and Jack's conversation. Apparently, Jack had been a regular farm boy living with his mother and was terrorized by the Rugalu Brothers. He had been saved by Ginta and Babbo and wanted to become stronger for his mother. Then, Babbo was blabbering about 'acting cool' and calling Jack a 'monkey'. Not important enough to warrant her attention…

"JACK!!! BABBO!!! AMY!!!"

So much for nice and peaceful. What about the ground rules she laid forth?! Oh shoot, she forgot again. _I'll tell Ginta now…_"There's a collapsed dog!!!" With that, Amy's eyes snapped open and sprang to her feet. Then she froze. "…Dog?"

* * *

Well, that's 9 whole pages I typed! 'Course I did it in increments. Next post will be a petition for a MÄR Section on Please review on this chapter and if you want your question/comment to appear on Intermission, include the comment/question with your review! Also, please tell everyone on Fanfiction that loves MÄR to review (sign) the petition! 

Yosh - Alright

Baka - Idiot


	5. The Ice Castle and New Enemies!

Thankee-sankee for waiting for this chapter! I love all my wonderful reviewers and everyone who helping keep this fanfiction keep going!

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xChibiTenshix: I was joking about the Nanashi being set on fire…sort of. Instead of setting him on fire…WE WILL ROAST MARSHMELLOWS!!!

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Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

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Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

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Disclaimer: Cookie – FORTUNE COOKIE!! (Grabs fortune cookie off the table)

Alviss – Whose idea was it to order Chinese food?

Babbo – That would be my #1 and #2 servant's 'brilliant idea'.

Ginta – Liar! You kept poking Amy and bugging her to order Chinese food until she hit you over the head with a giant frying pan!

Jack – And then she ordered it!

Babbo – How was I supposed to know she could get high on fortune cookies?!

Cookie – What's wrong with them? Anyway, I don't own MÄR or its characters. I just own Amy and her ÄRMs!

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_Flashback & Thought & Story Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

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Please continue to vote on the MÄR petition! It will be up until July 1st! I hope that enough people will vote so I can email it to the site. It would be pretty wimpy with only 2 or 3 people on it…ON WITH THE STORY!!

* * *

Chapter 5: The Ice Castle and New Enemies!

_Recap: _

"_There's a collapsed dog!" "…Dog?"_

_: End Recap_

Sure enough, there was a dog wearing a Santa hat, glasses, jean overalls was laying on the ground. If you looked closely, you could see: X.X in his eyes. How did you know it was a guy? I DON'T KNOW! I'M ONLY THE AUTHOR OF THIS STORY! ...Moving on…The 4 people of which-3-were-in-a-group-and-1-was-just-coincidentally-there surrounded the seemingly unconscious dog.

"It IS a dog…" Jack was surprised. Amy didn't make any sarcastic comments that would have been perfect for the occasion…she was too busy poking the dog's head. Poke…poke…poke…poke…and so and so forth. "It's still breathing, but! You think he's starvin' or something?" Ginta was clearly worried as he had probably never been faced with this situation before. Suddenly Babbo gave a gasp of surprise. "He, He's…!"

"What's wrong Babbo?!" Ginta was even more worried now. Amy looked up from poking the dog, but didn't stand up from her crouched position with her hands around her legs. "Darn ugly. WAHAHAHA…." Ginta smacked his forehead, Jack stared blankly, and Amy resumed her poking. While Babbo was laughing himself to tears and Amy was poking the dog's head, said-dog decided to wake up. As Babbo and the dog made eye contact, they suddenly leaped away from each other. Amy stood up and sheepishly walked over to Ginta and Jack. As Ginta and Jack stared at the dog, the surprised Babbo sputtered, "Strange Dog! Na, na, name yourself, Dog!!"

The dog was standing in a defensive position and perked up when Babbo talked. "Are you referring to me? My name is Edward!!" Edward then stared suspiciously at the group. "I'd like to ask you young ones the same thing…"

Ginta: "The dog can talk!!"

Babbo: still surprised.

Jack: sort of interested.

Amy: …

"DOGGIE!!!" At full speed ahead, she ran and hugged poor Edward. "I LOVE DOGS!!" Edward was a little surprised, but for some odd reason, he stayed put and continued to let the girl glomp him. "AH!" Suddenly, Edward pulled himself from Amy's arms (Amy immediately got teary-eyed) and looked frantic. "I CAN'T AFFORD TO WASTE MY TIME IN A PLACE LIKE THIS!! This makes twice!! Only once more and I'll…" Cutting himself off, Edward flopped himself down on the ground and closed his eyes. (Amy's tears were replaced with a curious look.) Edward's eyes flew open. "No good…!"

"At this rate, the princess will…to think I'm unable to save such a young life…!"

Now, Babbo, Ginta, Jack, and Amy were looking with sympathy at the poor, distraught dog. "Princess?" Jack was the first to speak. Ginta had a light blush on his face, as if he was imagining a girl of great beauty. Babbo looked like he was imagining someone of…not-so-great beauty. Amy asked, "Of what region?" Edward didn't hear her, apparently, as he was staring at all three human's wrists. "Young ones…"

"_**You're ÄRM users?!"**_

He kneeled respectfully. "Please, I beg you! Help me save the princess!" Amy was getting impatient for her question to be answered, but she asked, "Why is she in trouble?" Ed (AN: I'm gonna call him that from now on, its easier.) looked up at the young girl. He then began his sad tale.

"14 years ago, in our distant country, the King and Queen had a baby girl as proof of their love. Everyone was so happy. But then, when the Princess was 4, the Queen died. The King began looking for a new Queen for the Princess. He found an unspeakable woman and made her his new Queen!"

_Bring me more delicacies. More, I want more._

_Bring me more clothes…more beautiful jewels. More, I want more._

_Bring me ÄRMs with the power to control everything. More, I want more._

_I want MÄR Heaven._

"But before the people had realized that the King was no longer in power, the new Queen now controlled the country. Everyone who protested was destroyed by the Imperial Guard. I then took the Princess and fled when the Queen sought to use the Princess as a way to control the people. We reached a castle, and then…the Princess sealed herself!" By now, Ed was trying to keep himself from crying. The 4 people made their decision and turned to face him.

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Intermission

Cookie – WELCOME TO THE 2nd EDITION OF INTERMISSION!!! Wow! That rhymed!

Cast - …

Cookie – Do you know how hard it is to type with a cat on your lap?! Wow, I rhymed again! Sorta…

Alviss – Aren't you supposed to do that comment reading or whatever?

Cookie – Oh yeah! Well, seeing on how we only had one reviewer for chapter 4, I thought we would discuss her review!

Nanashi – THANK YOU xChibiTenshix!!! I always knew I had fans out there!!!

Cookie – Shaddup, Nanashi.

Nanashi – T . T

Cookie – Remember, you can include a question/comment for this special section in your review by putting it after 'For Intermission:'! It's all random selection, so I'll make sure everyone gets a turn! You can also submit a question/comment more than once!! NOW, BACK TO THE STORY!!

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"WHAT IS THIS?!" – Ginta

"It's an Ice Castle, dingus." – Amy

"Why's snow fallin' in a place like this…" – A half-frozen Jack

"It's by the power of the Princess's ÄRM. Snow…ice…this is proof of the seal." Edward had led the group to a castle close to where they were. It was normally shaped…minus the fact it was smack dab in the middle of a snowstorm and it was covered in ice. Ed was beginning to get teary-eyed again. "However…when a pursuer entered the castle with an ÄRM capable of lifting the seal…Before she could be taken to the Queen, the Princess sealed off the castle itself…but if it isn't broken soon, the seal she's placed on herself will take her…" Ed broke off. Suddenly, Amy and Ginta simultaneously patted Edward on the head. Jack had out his Battle Scoop and Ginta hefted Babbo's hammer onto his shoulder.

"_**Leave it to us."**_

"Whoopsie! I'm gonna be needing a weapon too, aren't I?" Amy giggled and dug in her pocket. Jack, Babbo, Edward, and Ginta: --; "Aha! Here we go!" Amy pulled out two rings with swords on them (One was light and long and the other was long and large looking) and stuck them on her fingers. "Ok, I'm ready!" She was ready for battle; she just didn't look like it. Ginta grinned even more widely (if it were possible) and declared, "Let's go to the Ice Castle and save the Princess! I'm getting excited again!" Ed smiled and began leading them into the castle.

--------------------------

Awhile later:

"No one's here! No one lives here?" Ginta was firing off questions like they were nothing. Ed didn't seem to mind. "Correct. This place had been abandoned some time before we came across it." Ed stopped at a slightly hidden staircase. "We can go up from here! Going through here will be slightly less dangerous than from the front!"(Jack: Um, they're not hiding there?) Ginta looked like he was thinking a really good question and wanted it answered, just like Amy, who **still** hadn't had her question answered. But before she could open her mouth, Ginta beat her to it. "Hey, Ed…What's the Princess like?" To be honest, Amy was curious of her nature as well. Why else would a defenseless dog risk his life to save the Princess of a nation that was taken over? She then listened to what Ed's answer was going to be.

"Very kind…her heart is warmer than I could ever explain."

Ed had a smile on his face from just remembering his beloved Hime-sama. Amy smiled comfortingly at the back of the dog. "…I never wanted to run alone." The group stopped when Ed stopped on the staircase to gather his thoughts. "It was very painful. To be told that you can't protect those who need you." Ed continued back up the stairs slowly. "Now that you know the story, please bring her back to me. After all, the only thing I'm capable of is nursing a cold…haha…" Ed laughed weakly. Amy now stared at Ed in sorrow. _He has __**that**__ little faith in himself?_ "With this, it's hard to tell which one is the protector…"

"ED!!"

BONK!

"Don't talk…"

Ginta bopped Ed on the head with Babbo's hammer. "…like that!" Ginta straightened up and began his explanation. "It's just my opinion, but…it's not that the Princess is ready to die! It's that she trusts you to save her!!" Ginta broke out into a grin that would make a Jack-o'-Lantern proud.

"_**It's a good thing that she believed in you!! We'll definitely save her!!"**_

Amy had to grin just as widely as Ginta with his enthusiasm. She nodded in agreement. Ed looked calmer. "Y-, yes." Ginta then rushed forward with a, "Yeah!" as Ed and Amy looked forward. "He…makes you feel calmer, doesn't he?" Amy questioned. Ed started, and then replied, "Yes." They looked on as the other-worlder ran triumphantly…then slipped on ice and banged his head on a wall. Amy and Ed: O.O; Amy added on, "Although it's a bit hard to trust him when he does that." Their expressions amplified when they heard Babbo's cure for stopping the ear bleeding. "Kick him. Maybe that'll stop it." They then went forward to help Jack and Babbo with Ginta.

Suddenly, the room darkened and dropped in temperature.

"Whoa, it got really dark!" – Ginta

"A-, and really c-, cold!!" – Jack

…Yep. These are the team 'geniuses'. However, Amy, Babbo, and Edward knew what was causing it. _Someone with incredibly high magic power!_ Amy whirled around and screamed, "GINTA!" However, it was a little too late. A hand holding a dagger reached out of the darkness and positioned the blade near the unsuspecting Ginta. As he stared at the blade in shock, a voice commanded, "Don't move.", and revealed themselves. It was a teen girl with long pink hair in plaits wearing all black. Amy began to move forward, but then noted the girl's expression. It went from deadly, to curious, then finally joyfulness. She apparently knew Ginta and vice versa, because they pointed happily at each other and screamed, "AHHHHHH?!"

"GINTA?!!"

"Dorothy, its Dorothy!"

"KYAAH! We meet again!!"

While this little exchange was taking place, everyone was staring at them with different emotions in their eyes.

Edward – disbelief

Amy – curiosity

Jack – love struck

Babbo – disgust

"…A friend a' yours? (P-, pretty girl)" – Jack

"Y-, you again!! The insolent fool woman!" – Babbo

"…I'm hungry." – Amy

-------------------

A bit later:

After a long explanation (and denied accusations from Amy of being more than friends with Ginta), Dorothy sat while holding one leg. "Now I get it. That's the reason for eternal snow. If you intend to save her, then you definitely should hurry. If it's true that she's connected with this land, then the child should also be encased in ice. If that continues for too long, her heart will stop." Amy shuddered at her careless tone. _It's like a coma, you don't know if you'll wake up or stay asleep forever…_"WENCH!!" Amy learned from the information exchange that Babbo didn't like Dorothy…at all. "WHAT'S WITH ALL THIS COLD TALK, LIKE SHE WAS A STRANGER?!" Dorothy wasn't fazed, however, as she coolly replied, "She **is** a stranger, you annoying thing! I only came here thinking, 'Hey, maybe there's an ÄRM in there'." Ginta seemed to be dwelling on the 'encased in ice' part. "Let's go!! Amy, Babbo, Jack!! We're wasting time!!" He turned and waved cheerfully at Dorothy. "See ya later, Dorothy!" She nodded happily in agreement and waved, "Do your best!" Amy lagged behind as everyone else ran ahead. "Are you going to be okay? There are a lot of them." Dorothy smiled mischievously at Amy and winked. "Dorothy-sama appreciates your concern, but I'll be okay. Their magic levels aren't really high." Amy nodded, and with that, she ran after the rest of the group. Amy waved at Dorothy before she rounded the corner and Dorothy returned it. She smiled coyly. "And now then…"

"9 men! Come out!"

9 masks stepped out of the shadows. "Hiding your power, crouching in the shadows like rats. When I get rid of you, the only ones to bother them will be the 2 upstairs." She grinned like a sadist, and a wolf-shaped skull appeared behind her.

"_**You boys just don't have any luck."**_

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Near the destination:

"In here!!" Ginta and the gang found a large pair doors slightly ajar. Ed had guided them the rest of the way. Ed looked slightly panicked. "The door's open…!!! Then inside—"Ed didn't need to finish his sentence. Ginta said what everyone was waiting for.

"_**LET'S GO!**_"

Ginta then forced the doors open with one push. As Amy, Jack, Babbo, Ed, and Ginta looked inside…to see a large block of ice sitting smack in the middle of the room with a person frozen inside. Amy noticed Ginta beginning to break out into a cold sweat. She narrowed her eyes. "Be on your guard. People are inside here already, and they have a good-sized level of magic." They then took a good look at the Princess. She was very pretty, with short black hair and a large pink bow on top. Her clothes were made for a winter environment and an ÄRM was floating next to her hand. She seemed to be sleeping, or thinking about something important. Suddenly, Ginta screamed.

"_**KOYUKI!!!**_"

As Babbo, Jack, and Ed stared at Ginta, Amy heard bits of a conversation. "Oi oi, it's a kid!" "According to…information…was around this area." "I suppose this saves us some time." Suddenly, Amy felt a high source of magic enter the castle. _Sure hope it's somebody on our side…_Suddenly, she felt a 'whoosh' of air go past her. She saw Ginta sprint for the ice block. She yelled, "GINTA, COME BACK!!!" "YOU MUSN'T, GINTA-DONO!! AT LEAST TAKE YOUR WEAPON…!" Ed also was trying to stop him. A tall man with yellow robes, spiky hair, and a mask stepped directly in front of the frozen Princess. As quick as a wink, Ginta was knocked back toward the rest of the group. (Jack: GINTA!!) Ginta got up onto his knees and rubbed his face while muttering, "Wha..." The man now had his arms outstretched and his sleeves covered his hands.

"You can't come in."

Ginta stood up and exclaimed, "What's up with him!? Popping out all of a sudden!" Amy and Jack: --; "He was there all along!" Jack was waving his arms up and down energetically. "Look closer!" Amy was beginning to get impatient about her question from close-to-the-beginning of this chapter. Ed was trying to calm Ginta down as well. "Calm yourself, Ginta-dono! I don't know how, but you seem to be mistaken in something. That isn't the one you call 'Koyuki'!"

"_**That's the rightful heir to the throne of the Kingdom of 'Lestarva'…that is Snow-hime!"**_

_FINALLY! My question is answered…wait a minute…LESTARVA??!!_

_Recap: (Chapter 2)_

_Amy had completed her training (courtesy of Adonna) and was heading towards Lestarva. After all, Lestarva WAS practically the capital of MAR Heaven and the Chess had most likely taken it over. She was being a good citizen and going to liberate it._

_: End Recap_

_Well, it looks like I don't need to go there NOW…_

Jack seemed to know it as well. "Le, Le, Le-…LESTARVA??!!" Babbo was clueless as usual as he questioned Jack. "What's with you, Jack?" Jack then began his explanation. (AN: lots and lots of explanations…) "Lestarva's the most powerful country in all of MÄR Heaven! Don't ya' know that much?! The Princess of that place…that's like the Princess of princesses!!" He was now shaking in reverence (or from the hard truth of reality) "For a princess like that to be in a wasteland like this…escaped to a castle covered in eternal ice surrounded by nothin'!? This is all wrong!! What…in the world is happening to MÄR Heaven…!!?" Meanwhile, Ginta was doing Pooh-Bear-breathing exercises…joking! He was breathing in and out deeply, trying to calm himself down. "But—"Amy turned around to face Ginta after listening to Jack's rant.

"Now I wanna save her 3 times as much!!"

Ginta grabbed Babbo and stood to face his foes. "Ed! You can melt that ice, right?" Ed snapped to attention, much like a soldier. "Yes!! I have the needed Flame ÄRM with me!! Just use that and…" Ginta smiled and a fang stuck out. "In other words, just get rid of these guys and it's a go, right?" Babbo looked…very angry, to say the least. "To think you'd harm an innocent little girl, you ruffians!! As a gentleman, I must teach you a lesson!!" Amy grinned cockily and stepped forward. "Count me in on the butt-kicking!!" The two enemies stared at the 3 people who stepped forward. The man spoke and sounded slightly hurt. "He called us ruffians! The ÄRM's kinda different from the way he was explained to me, isn't he? Was he really like that before?" The other enemy, a short little girl with a long green dress and blonde pigtails replied, "Totally different." Her voice had this mature edge to it that suggested something else to her appearance. "Perhaps he's lost his memories." "Regardless…" The man stepped forward and began to remove his mask.

"Let's play a little, Loco-chan."

* * *

Alright!!! Please review and don't forget about the petition!! It's up until July 1st!!! Also remember the 'Intermission'!! Thankee-sankee for reading, reviewing, and waiting!!! 

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Hime-sama – princess

-sama – lord/lady, term of great respect

-dono – even greater than –sama.

-hime - princess


	6. Finally! Ed's secret and Alviss!

Sorry I took a while!! I kinda got into trouble and was banned from the computer (I have stupid temper issues) but now I'm back and working again!!

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xChibiTenshix: I know!!! I get lots of hits, but no one reviews…OOH! Can I guess your fave person?! Maybe it's…IAN!!

MarHeavenAngel: THANK YOU!! I love being complimented (I'm kinda vain, hee hee). If you or anybody else has a question/comment for Intermission, then feel more than welcome to submit it.

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Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

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Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

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Disclaimer: Cookie – My head hurts…and I'm sleepy…

Alviss – What do you expect, after all that sugar?

Cookie – For my head to NOT hurt and for me not to be sleepy…

Nanashi – Do you want me to do the disclaimer?

Cookie – If you do that, I'll make you very happy… (Falls asleep)

Nanashi – Well, cookie2718 doesn't own MÄR or any of its characters. She only owns Amy and her ÄRMs…but I bet Cookie wishes she owned me!

Dorothy - …idiot.

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_Flashback & Thought & Story Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

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They made a MÄR section already…so I took down the petition…I feel so un-needed now… (Sob) Please do Intermission, somebody!! I might have to change it slightly if no one does it!

* * *

Chapter 6: Finally! Ed's secret and Alviss reappears!

_Recap:_

"_Regardless…" The man stepped forward and began to remove his mask. "Let's play a little, Loco-chan."_

_: End Recap_

Behind the mask was…a horrible blood-sucking monster!!!! No, I'm not serious! Do you want me to get on with it or not?! WELL, I WILL!! GOSH!! _Idiots…_

Anyway…

Behind the mask was a cheerful looking man with spiky black hair and an earring in the shape of a rook from a chess board was dangling from his ear. His eyes were closed and he had an inerasable grin on his face. Amy was confused. _Ok, last time I checked, the Chess Pieces were a bunch of monstrous looking people. Here, they got a guy who looks like he could pass as a teenager, and a little girl?! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THE ENEMY?!!_ While Amy was silently freaking out, the man continued with his speech. "We've been celebrating for quite a while, drinking nothing but sake. I need a good workout…" _Now they have a bunch of drunkards on their team?! How in the world did they do all that damage 6 years ago!?_ Amy's rants were further interrupted by the little girl 'Loco'.

"Loco won't participate. And I didn't drink any sake."

Then, she muttered something that sounded vaguely like, "And stop calling an elder 'chan'." _…I really need to get my ears checked…_ The man's expression clearly matched his response, which was: … He then turned around to face Ginta with a cheeky grin. "Then let's get it on, little man!! You up for one on one?!" Then, his expression changed in the blink of an eye. His left eye opened slightly, and his grin turned into a smirk. "A man-to-man duel is the standard, right? Of course, if you refuse, I'll be happy to fight you all at once! It won't really change the outcome." Amy scowled. _It looks like THAT part hasn't changed about the enemy…unfortunately. _She looked warningly at Ginta. "We'll have a better chance of victory if we face him all at once, Ginta." His eyes were hidden and so was his expression. Jack was on guard as well. "It's a trap!! Don't accept, Ginta!!" Even the defenseless dog was offering criticism! (AN: joking…he's not ENTIRELY defenseless…) "I agree. There's nothing to be ashamed of!!"

"Agreed."

Amy: _Was that idiot even listening to us?!_

Ed and Jack: O.O

The man smiled more gently now. "I'm getting to like you. Your name? Alignment?"

Ginta's grin got even bigger, if that was possible. Wielding Babbo's hammer and rushing forward, he replied, "I'm Ginta!! Alignment's Furowa Middle School, Year 2, Class 3!!" Amy frowned while entering her thinking space. _He must be from Japan or something…there isn't that kind of thing in the USA…_Her thoughts were again interrupted by the man. "I am…Ian." Then, his pose switched to a menacing figure.

"_**And I'm with the 'Chess no Koma'."**_

Ginta froze mid-run while Babbo had a look of horror on his face. Amy had this troubled look on her face. _He must be remembering our encounter with Alviss…_Unfortunately, since Ginta had stopped, Ian saw this as a chance to attack and took it. He was pummeled instantaneously by many small, fast objects. "GINTA!!" Amy was immediately afraid for the younger boy's life. _I can see what that Ian guy is attacking Ginta with easily…but Ginta hasn't had the proper type of training yet…and whoever entered the castle earlier is clearly NOT going to help…what to do?_ Suddenly, Amy heard a choked reply to Ian's introduction. "Th-These're the guys…? The Chess no Koma!!?" Jack was still holding his Battle Scoop in a defensive position, but was also shocked. "That guy's gotta be military…! With one attack, he's all beat up…to think he's actually almost finished already…" Suddenly, a light dawned in Jack and Amy's eyes. "Wait…then…" Jack began to realize the truth. Amy finished his sentence, "_**The ones being sent by the Queen of Lestarva, the Imperial Guard, are…"**_ Ed then finished Amy's sentence for her with a grim look in his eyes.

"_**The Chess no Koma! The Castle in Lestarva is currently the Chess's base of operations!!"**_

While everyone was shocked from this revelation, Ian merely had this slightly impatient look on his face…then raised his arms and something zipped towards Ginta. Ginta grunted in pain and was knocked back slightly. Amy was getting angrier and angrier at the Chess Pieces. _I don't care what Ginta's gonna do or say to me, I'm gonna kick Ian's butt to the moon and back if he attacks Ginta one more time!!_ Ian still had this poised look on his face that was quickly getting on Amy's nerves. "That ÄRM belongs to a man known as Phantom. It's not something a child should be playing with!"

As Amy was about to beat Ian to a centimeter of his life, she noticed Loco whipped her head around to stare at a pillared section, then turned her head as if she didn't care. Amy turned her attention to the section and felt a high amount of magic. _That must be whoever entered the castle earlier…well, if they're not gonna help or fight, who cares about them?_ Amy put all her concentration towards Ginta, who was now bleeding from the forehead. His eyes were closed as if deep in thought, then he turned to look at Snow-hime who was STILL frozen in that ice cube. He had this grin on his face as if remembering a nice dream, then grinned widely up at the sleeping hime-sama.

"I'll definitely save you!! Just wait a sec!!"

Jack, Amy, Ed, and Ian were staring at Ginta who turned towards Ian with a newly determined look on his face. "Let's go!! BABBO!!" Ginta then hefted up Babbo's head in his hand like he was serving in tennis. He then chucked Babbo at Ian rather than whacking Babbo with a racket. Ian smirked…then jumped on top of Babbo's head. Babbo was surprised to say the least. And furious. "Wha!? GET OFF, INSOLENT ONE!! Standing on the head of a gentleman…" Babbo was abruptly interrupted by Ginta jumping up and smashing Ian's face in with Babbo's hammer. Ian staggered a bit before straightening, grinning, and attacking Ginta with his seemingly 'invisible' weapon. Jack cried out with no reply… (AN: Sorry, I love Barlow Girl, hehe.) While Ginta was sent flying backwards. Loco, who had been silent until now, asked a question.

"**Why do you use such a weak form?"**

"Weak form? You mean Babbo!?" Ginta was curious as to what Loco meant. Seeing a good chance for insults, Loco continued. "You won't transform him into a more suitable form? Anyone can use the original form. It looks like Phantom really is the only one suited to use Babbo."

Ginta: O x O "Transform…?"

Babbo: O///O "Me!!?"

Amy: --; _Idiots…_

Amy then remembered a lesson with Adonna-obaasama (as Amy called her).

_Amy, 'Magic Stones' are the key to unlocking an ÄRM's full potential! One ÄRM for example…Phantom's ÄRM, Babbo! He requires the use of Magic Stones to transform into him into more powerful forms!! _

Amy then turned to assess the opponent. She took note of the earring that dangled cheerfully off of Ian's ear. _Ginta's no match for that guy…even if he is one of the second lowest ranks in the Chess Pieces!!_ She then thought of something with a slightly irritated expression. _If they weren't so OBSESSED with their identification, then taking over the world would be a lot easier for them! Not that they would realize that…_"Ginta! He's too tough for you!! Let me handle him!!" Amy vainly tried to get Ginta to swap with her. He stubbornly stood his ground and didn't give any indication that he heard her. Ian's lighthearted mood seemed to have vanished. "You're weak. You're seriously disappointing me, kid. Just a stupid kid with an ÄRM he can't even use." He then began to berate the others. "And that one over there's just a normal scoop. And the dog's a dog…and the girl doesn't even have an ÄRM out. The guy over there with all the magical power doesn't seam to wanna play…are you really planning on saving the princess?" His left eye opened slightly and a wicked grin grew on his face.

"_**Perhaps**__**I should **__**end this."**_

He then punched Ginta square in the face. As Ginta staggered, Ian then kneed him in the stomach. Amy grit her teeth impatiently. _I have to wait for the right moment…the right moment to do the most damage! But I can't find one!! _Babbo screamed desperately at Ginta, "**GINTA!!** FOOL!! HURRY UP AND USE ME!!" Ian didn't even turn to look at Babbo. "The only one to use you will be Phantom. Just hold up for a second before we take you to your master. Until then, be silent." Ginta then began to speak, albeit in a weak, tired tone. "You guys…you call yourselves the Chess Pieces, right? You were the ones who took control of the world before, right? Such a beautiful…such a fun world…" Ginta's voice was beginning to become emotion-filled. "Why hurt it? What do you people want?" Ian's expression became cat-like, sly and lazy. "Who knows?" He asked while scratching his head questioningly. "I'm not an original member, and I never really asked! Could you explain, Loco-chan?" He handed the question to his partner. The 'little girl' complied. "The Chess. We may seem like a bunch of random gathering of fighters, but we all have our own reasons. Some of us simply love to destroy, others want ÄRMs, and some want women. And the Queen, surrounded by this 'beautiful and fun' world…decided that she wanted **everything**. For that purpose, we collected ÄRMs and destroyed those who went up against us. In other words, the members of the Chess, their reasons, goals, and actions, are what brought them together." Ginta then turned a furious face to the two Chess Pieces.

"_**And you're willing to take a little girl to accomplish it?!"**_

Loco was quiet for a moment before answering, "If she is necessary, _**yes.**_" Ian, however, was bored with the conversation. "If all you do is talk, I'll get bored ♪." Then, he punched Ginta again. Ginta then fell over with a THUD. Ed began panicking again. "This is bad…it's come down to my trump card!!! Jack-dono, hit me as hard as you can!" Poor Jack, though, was confused. "HAH?!" Ed wasn't bothering with explanations right now. "I only have to fall asleep once more!! Please, don't hold back!!" Jack was still confused. "I, I don't really get it but if you say so…" Jack then whacked Ed upside the head with his Battle Scoop. Ed fell over with a THWUMP. Ed then sat up with a shocked look on his face. "…It's no use. And I can't faint either…!" He began to cry, and trying to stop his tears at the same time. "I've failed as your retainer…! Hime-sama!!" Amy then knelt down to Ed's level and looked at him sympathetically. "Don't cry Ed…we haven't lost yet." Ian and Loco had turned their attention away from the group and were talking about the member they were waiting for. Ian then muttered something about a 'Halloween' person always being late, and then everyone heard a voice declare,

"**I've decided." **

Ian then turned away from Loco to look at the person who said it originally. Ginta was standing up a bit shakily. "**You guys have made me seriously angry!! I'll definitely kick your butt!!"** Ian didn't reply, but looked at Ginta with a slightly amused look on his face. "I might be weak now. I might not be able to use Babbo well. But…" His face then turned to face Ian with a determined and furious look at the same time.

"**One by one!! I'll take all of you down!!"**

"For my beloved Mär-Heaven and for Snow hime-sama!!" Ian turned to fully face Ginta with a face-splitting grin on his…face. (AN: I'm so creative, right?) "Ya know, I don't really hate your type!! But after you lose today, there won't be a next time…" He broke off with a shocked look on his face. Ginta had a thumbs-down sign on his hand. "If I can't hit only you, then I'll have to hit both of us!!"

**BAM!!**

A giant Babbo came crashing down on top of Ginta and Ian. Everyone shook from the impact and was just as shocked as Ian was. Amy's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she replayed the events in her mind. "He threw Babbo into the air and grew him…so that when he landed, he would hit both of them!!" Loco was looking much disheveled as she murmured, "Not even Phantom has done such a thing!!" Amy then murmured, "To think he'd…!" Jack screamed, "GINTA!!" While Ed…toppled over in a dead faint.

Babbo then shrunk back to his normal size, revealing the two fighters. Ginta was still standing (Amy: _WHERE THE HECK DOES HE GET THAT STAMINA?!_) while Ian was kneeling and clutching his right arm. He then spoke, "Not bad, Ginta!" Ian was, surprisingly, still grinning an ear-to-ear grin and now he was chuckling. (Amy: _Is he, like, a masochist or something?_) "That was a good one!! An attack with imagination!! You even took out my right arm, haha! Ouch!!" Ginta was giving a small smile as well. "Y-, you're…amazing…" Jack and Amy were ignoring the conversation and waving their arms wildly while jumping up and down, screaming, "GINTA! GINTA!!" They then pointed at Ed, who was now unconscious. "ED LOOKS WEIRD!! HE FAINTED AFTER SEEING BABBO, AND—"Amy and Jack didn't get to finish their rant, as Ed began glowing with a mysterious light. He then exploded into a large puff of smoke that caused Amy and Jack to jump back with a screech. Ginta looked questioningly at the smoke. "Ed?" Ian swore quietly, and then said, "He's out." Loco looked at the scene with emotionless eyes. Suddenly, a figure rose from the mist and said in a deep voice, "Good Night…"

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Intermission

Cookie – I think I'm gonna have to change Intermission.

Cast – How so?

Cookie – Well, no one has entered a question or anything so, (insert wicked grin here), I'm gonna make this a break time!!

Cast – WOOT!! BREAK TIME!!

Cookie – But I'm gonna trail you around and see what you're doing!!

Cast – NO!!!!!!

Cookie – TOO LATE!!

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"…and Good Morning." A tall, burly man stood up where Ed previously was. He had his long black hair tied back into a ponytail and had a large white coat on that was swishing around. He had ÄRMs on every finger and on his arms…he had a lot, ok? He had a large scar on his face and he needed a shave. His eyes reflected wisdom and power. He looked like a force to be reckoned with, basically. As he finished saying his lines, everyone's reaction was different (sorta).

Jack: O.O _WHAT?!!_

Ginta: O.O; _Huh?_

Babbo: O.O _Eh?_

Amy: …"Who are you?" --

She vaguely heard an elated voice (that sounded oddly familiar) say, "That man is—"She didn't hear the rest, though, as she noticed the man sauntering over to Ginta. She tensed. _We still don't know if he's an enemy or—_the man patted Ginta on the head. _…Never mind._ The mystery guy then spoke to Ginta. "Ya did pretty well. You have my thanks." Ginta however, was still curious.

"Ossan…where's Ed?"

"It's me."

"Ed's a dog…"

"It's me."

You could hear the wind whistling past them as the two of them stared each other down. Then, an obnoxious voice called out, "Hey, dog guy!" Ian was now standing while still clutching his arm. "You plan to interfere some more? You were the one giving the others so much trouble, right?" The man turned a dangerous eye to Ian. "A brat who lost his arm to a child isn't one to talk. **Now vanish.**" Ian had this serious look in his eye. "One arm's enough for you…" He moved his arm so quickly, just as he did with Ginta. However, the man caught his weapon with one hand and finally revealing what Ian had been hitting Ginta with. It was a long whip that was extending from Ian's wrist. Amy voiced her thoughts aloud, "It's a bracelet-class ÄRM, the 'Python Whip'. It's a very good ÄRM." The man looked impressed with Amy's response before adding, "Granted, the user lacks the necessary skill." Ian looked stunned, and he didn't even try to move. Loco began telling Ian to give up the fight, and the mystery man let go of the Whip and turned to Ginta.

"Now then…you said your name was 'Ginta'."

Ginta had this odd look on his face, as if he was saying, "What are you doing?" Amy then questioned the man, "Who are you?" "I've been watching you from inside the dog Edward." He ignored her. "And now the dog should be watching from inside me. (Amy: Hey!) We had some circumstances…though we were once (Don't ignore me!) different people (or dogs), our current existence is absolute. After the dog (Listen to me!) falls asleep 3 times, I come out. After I sleep once, the dog comes back out, (Are you ignoring me?!) and the pattern continues. Not too fair, is it? (WHO CARES?! ANSWER THE QUESTION!) Gahahaha!" Amy gave up (although she growled very loudly) and the man continued. "Put out your hand!" Ginta stuck out his hand obediently, as if he was expecting money. The man placed an intricate ÄRM in Ginta's upturned palm. "That's the Flame ÄRM. Use it to lift Snow's seal." As Ginta stared at the ÄRM, the man said, "Just throw it at a good place. GO!" Ginta yelled, "YEAH!!" then set off at a dash towards the ice block with a wide grin on his face. Ian smiled and began to throw his Whip at Ginta. "No ya don't ♫." Fortunately, he was stopped by a very powerful force. He was thrown backwards and skidded to a stop. The man had his hand out and it felt like a powerful gust of air had hit Ian square in the chest. "I told you to vanish, didn't I? Worthless brat." He then showed a blood-thirsty grin. "This is the scene where the Prince wakes up the sleeping Princess. Don't mess with it." Amy smiled happily at Ginta as he ran to the ice and stopped. He looked like he was thinking about how hard the Princess Snow had worked. She was happy. _We win! We rescued the Princess, took care of the bad guys, and got to kick butt! What could possibly go wrong?_

Great. She jinxed it. I'm surprised the entire force of the Chess Pieces didn't just swoop down right there and—you get my point, right?

Anyway…Ginta then threw the ÄRM at the top of the ice block. The ice began melting, and the Princess opened her eyes to reveal a warm brown color. Amy could literally see her falling down in slow motion. _Um, why do I get the feeling that something is gonna happen?_ As Jack and Babbo cheered for the 'Prince' (aka Ginta), something happened. Something that no one, not Ginta, the Princess, or even the Chess, expected. Snow and Ginta made…um…THEY KISSED, OK?! Judging by the fact that both of their eyes were open and there was a blush on both of their faces, they clearly weren't planning it. As they fell over with a THUD, most of everyone gave their reactions.

Jack: O.O

Babbo: Same as Jack

Amy: …"KAWAII!!"

Ginta suddenly stood up with a cherry blush on his face. As he stared at his companions, his look, which clearly screamed, "FIRST KISS!" amplified. I think if volcanoes set off, the poor guy wouldn't notice. Snow had a much different reaction. She looked right…then left, "AH!" She noticed the dog-turned-man. "Ed!" The man stared at her when she screamed his name. "I knew you'd come to save me!!" She had this incredibly happy look on her face. The man felt a need to correct her, apparently. "Not quite, Snow. The one who came here to help you was the dog, Ed. And the one that saved you…is that spaced-out kid over there." Snow turned to stare curiously at Ginta, who fainted from the rush of emotions. She stared, then blushed and touched her lips. Suddenly, Amy turned to see a mysterious figure appear next to the Chess Pieces. It was a pumpkin-head with a black-cloaked body that was chained to a cross-shaped piece of metal. They were discussing his lateness and…new orders? She could clearly hear the pumpkin-head's creepy voice.

"_**In order to prepare for the second taking of Mär-Heaven, all members of the 'Chess no Koma' are to gather!"**_

Amy shivered. Her master's intellect and information was correct, as usual.

_Recap: (Chapter 1)_

_A group of fiends called the 'Chess No Koma' or the 'Chess Pieces' are destroying MÄR Heaven with the intent of taking it over…A group called the Cross Guard defeated the Chess in the First War Game, which was a gruesome tournament the Chess hosted, 6 years ago. However, they have revived and I'm positive that they're planning to start a Second War Game…_

_: End Recap_

A look of recognition crossed 'Ed's' (as Snow called him) face. Jack was freaking out at the sight of the new Chess Piece. Snow was staring at Ginta still (who was still not conscious and had a definitive red blush on his face) and Amy…was poking the not conscious Ginta. Poke…poke…poke…you know how it works, right? However, she was listening to the conversation. They were speaking of the order. They were speaking of a fight and a need to remind someone…"These are the words of Phantom."

"_**There is a need to remind those who have forgotten. Forgotten of the Chess Pieces!! Who is it that holds the right to look down on the world from the highest summit? Those who possess the strength to climb there! I have risen once again! Now we must prove that fact for a second time!!"**_

They continued to speak until they were interrupted with a loud, "HEY, YOU!!" Dog-turned-man looked very…um…angry. "What are you doin' talking like I'm not there. Tomato-headed—"(AN: The following word has been deleted for foulness. I'm altering his words a lot. I'm trying not to use swear words. Thankee-sankee!) The 'Pumpkin-head' sounded amused. "Oh…I heard stories, but it really is you, Alan." Amy was satisfied. _FINALLY!! I KNOW HIS NAME!! Wait a minute…ALAN?! How did I not see it?! It IS Alan!_ "Wrong. Now I'm Ed." Alan had this dangerous look on his face. "It's been 6 years, man." Halloween, or as Amy had heard him being called, didn't seem perturbed. "We both share a long life…hyuhyu." He chuckled lightly. Snow and Amy worked at waking Ginta up. Snow began prodding him awake with her voice after Amy's suggestion was rejected.

_Recap:_

_Snow questioned, "How are we going to wake him up?" Amy pondered for a bit then came up with a brilliant solution. "I know!" She pulled out a massively huge frying pan from who-knows-where, and brandished it over her head like a sword. "If I keep whacking him with this, he's bound to wake up!" Snow sweatdropped then put forth her suggestion. "How about we just try another way?"_

_: End Recap_

So, Snow began saying, "Ne, ne, wake up!" and Amy was…poking him. Eventually, He sat up and looked at Snow. Amy was grumbling in her innermost thoughts still. _If I used the frying pan, he would have woken up faster!_ He must have been dreaming or something, because he then grinned and placed his hand behind his head sheepishly. "Oh, it's you, Koyuki! Wow!! And I was just dreaming about…" He then froze, as if he just remembered where he was. He sprung to his feet quickly. "…This isn't the time to be sleeping! This place is my reality now!!" Amy was puzzled. _What does he mean, 'my reality'?_ He looked confusingly at the enemies. Then, he so smartly pointed out, "Hey! There's another one!" Ginta grit his teeth and questioned, "Are you part of the Chess Pieces too!?" Halloween didn't answer, but instead began a conversation with his companions. (AN: H means Halloween and I means Ian.)

H – Hmm? What's with the spiky-headed kid?

I – That's the kid who broke my arm, name's Ginta! (Said with a big grin on his face)

H - …You're kidding, right?

I – Seriously!!

Halloween then…,"HYAHAHAHA!!! IT WASN'T ALAN, BUT THAT KID?!! HYAHAHA!!" burst out laughing. "That's a nice one Ian! You come up with the greatest material!" Halloween kept on laughing; ignoring the smoldering looks he got from an infuriated Ginta. Alan then interrupted Halloween's laugh. "And if that's the truth—what'll you do about it, Halloween?" Halloween stopped laughing (finally) and stared at Ginta. He finally spoke. "Boy. Name yourself." Ginta wasn't scared, apparently. "Ginta!" He answered right away. "You guys are planning to mess with Mär-Heaven, right? So I'll fight you and beat you. Prepare yourself!" Halloween then turned to Loco while shaking. He whispered something to her that Amy vaguely interpreted as "I can't stop laughing." Then, Loco said clearly, "He uses Babbo." Halloween stopped snickering and questioned, "Babbo?" He stared at Babbo who was staring him down next to Jack. His voice took on an excited tone. "Ooh! It's just like Peta said! When he said someone other than Phantom was using it, I thought it was a joke! You been sticking with him till we found you?" He then called for Babbo as if he were…a dog. Babbo was…very angry. "Don't call a gentleman out like a dog, you insolent wretch! I'll eat your head!" "Somehow, I can imagine that…", murmured Amy as Halloween turned to Ian, clearly confused. Ian then mock-whispered, "Seems he forgot some things." Jack decided to make a flashy entrance. "YOU GUYS'D BEST NOT UNDERESTIMATE GINTA!! 'CAUSE HE CAME HERE ALL THE WAY FROM ANOTHER WORLD!!" Amy smacked her forehead. _Good job telling the enemy about Ginta, you idiot._ The expressions:

Ian - ?

Alan/Ed: interested

Snow: curious

Loco: O.O (except more dramatic looking)

Poor Jack was expecting everyone to believe him, I suppose. "Hu-…huh? Then you don't believe me?" Halloween loomed dangerously on Jack's every word, much to Jack's gloom. "That…" His face was eerie and Amy could detect that the pumpkin was a mask and underneath, he was grinning a blood-thirsty grin.

"**Is what you just said true?"**

Jack then proceeded to 'freak out' because of Halloween. Babbo humphed, "Don't get scared too easily, monkey boy!!" Ginta answered in place of Jack. "It's true! I came here through Monban Pierrot! So what." He said that so coolly that Amy couldn't help but smile at him. "Hyuha…hyuhahaha!" Halloween found it very funny, apparently. "Resident of another world…!! Just like him!!" A figure came to Amy's mind, but she pushed it away. "Knowing that, I can see how you may be able to hurt Ian." Loco spoke up. "Loco will defeat him now! May I?" Halloween, surprisingly, didn't comply. "The orders were to end pursuit and gather at the castle! Breaking that order would not be forgiven. 'Interrogate the Princess' and 'Retrieve Babbo' must be dealt with at a later date! Of course…" Halloween had this clear blood-lust in his eyes. "'Kill the Outsider' is added to the list! However…hyuhahaha…." The three Chess Pieces began to warp away.

"_**This one may be an even more enjoyable war than the first…hyuha…HYUHAHAHA!!"**_

Ginta then proceeded to throw a fit since his battle challenge was ignored. "GET BACK HERE, CHESS!!" Amy whapped Ginta lightly on the head. "Don't be so reckless." Alan nodded in agreement. "You nearly died back there!!" However, both Alan and Amy smiled at Ginta lightly. "Doesn't he remind you of somebody?" Amy questioned Alan. He glanced down at her briefly before replying, "Yeah, he does…but will he live up to him?" Amy smiled. "I believe he will." Alan gave her a final grin before turning his attention back to Ginta. His rant was interrupted by a soft, "Um?" He turned to face the Hime-sama, Snow. She smiled, "It's good to meet you. Please call me Snow! Thank you for saving me!" Amy tapped Ginta on the shoulder and asked him, "Does she remind you of someone, Ginta?" He didn't really hear Amy, though, as he wiped his nose with a smile as Snow came over to Ginta with a smile as well. Then, his eyes popped out real wide as if he remembered…_the kiss._ Amy concluded mentally. He stuttered, "Um…uh…this time…was I unfaithful?" With that, he fell over again. (AN: He's thinking of Koyuki when he says the 'unfaithful' thing…) Snow looked curiously at him, then clapped her hand over mouth and blushed a bright red. She turned to Alan frantically. "ED! ED!! You saw that right?! What do you think?" Alan however, looked unbothered. "A kiss. What's the problem?" Snow looked up worriedly. "Oh, no. That was my first, right?" As Alan replied something like, "It's not like you're allowed only one. I bet the dog's going ballistic, though." And Snow begged him to stop teasing her; Jack, Babbo, and Amy were crowded around the again-unconscious Ginta. Jack and Babbo were staring at Ginta and Amy was…you guessed it! Poking Ginta. Well, at least they made some new friends…

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Time Skip:

In the suburbs of the Castle of Ice, the Port Town, 'Pelika':

Alan was making a congratulatory speech while chomping on steak. They were in a cozy restaurant and were feasting in celebration of Snow's rescue. Or rather…as the following conversation went: (AN: G means Ginta, J means Jack, B means Babbo, and A means Alan)

A – Well, eat to your heart's content!! (Has big feast in front of him)

G – THERE'S NO WAY I CAN EAT THIS (holds up plate with one roll and a few vegetables) TO MY HEART'S CONTENT!!

J – YOU GAVE ME SEVEN PEAS!!

B – And I get nothing…

…Yep. Turns out Alan is stingy. Amy and Snow were given a good portion of food, unlike the poor boys. Snow was peeved with Alan. "Don't be stingy, Ed! Let them have what they like." She turned to the boys with a smile. "Really, thank you so much! Please call me Snow!" Ginta introduced himself, "I'm Ginta." Jack and Babbo had these dumb looks on their face and introduced themselves with a happy tone, "I'm Babbo…" "Jack…" Amy smiled pleasantly at Snow. "I'm Amy! It's nice to meet you!" Snow smiled at Amy as well. "It's nice to meet you, too!" Both girls had large grins on their faces and the boys (well, mainly Jack and kinda Ginta) were staring, love struck. Alan called order…IN THE COURT!! (AN: I'm joking!! Joking!! I'm just getting edgy that I haven't finished yet.) "Now then…this meeting isn't just to show you our thanks for what you did! We've still gotta get you guys informed of the situation! Ginta!!" Alan turned his full attention to the other-worlder. "How many days has it been since you came here?" Ginta thought a bit before answering, "Hmm--…about 10 days?" "Hmph. Then it's safe to say that you know nothing." Alan concluded. "Snow!" "Got it." Snow began digging through her pack and pulled out a map which unrolled. Alan then entered 'Professor Mode' and began his lecture.

"This is Mär-Heaven." Ginta, Amy (even though she knew what it looked like), Jack, and Babbo turned their attention to the map. Alan pointed at a tiny island. "Right now, we're here! A small island called 'Pajilika'! There are two towns! With no single government head, it's a country run by the people." Ginta then turned wide-eyed to Jack. "SERIOUSLY?! WE WERE AT A PLACE THAT WAS THIS TINY!?" Jack looked angry as her muttered, "I told ya I was a country boy!!" Alan ignored them and kept on going, "And the southernmost continent is the country of 'Lestarva'!! This is where Snow was born, the place where our journey first started, and now it's the main base for the 'Chess Pieces'!" Snow began to drink from her cup, but she was still listening to Alan.

"The continents and islands are split into many small countries, all struggling for more power. The one to keep those small countries in line is Lestarva. Well, to put it simply, there are a bunch of people claiming to be the 'leader'." Ginta now put his finger on his forehead as if he were trying to remember something. "Hm…lessee…in the Edo Period, there were lotsa little lords all fighting the other lords…but the one everyone agreed was the top was the shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu!...something like that, right?" Jack was confused and Amy questioned, "So, you're from Japan?"

Everyone stopped their questioning to stare at Amy. She blushed and grabbed her drink and began to drink deeply. They turned away from her to stare at Alan, who gave a bark of laughter in response to Ginta's history lesson. "That's just what he said, so I guess it must be true!! This is the second time I've explained this world, so it's a piece of cake!!" Ginta began to eat, but then stopped at Alan's explanation. "He?" Alan nodded, "Yeah! The first person I gave this speech to was the one who came before you! The leader of the resistance group, 'Cross Guard'!! We called him 'Danna'." He then explained the Cross Guard. "The Cross Guard was born to defeat the Chess. It was an army made up of warriors from every country. The only goal was to protect Mär-Heaven from the Chess!!" Ginta got this far away look in his eyes. "But…he's—This 'Danna' is…" Alan looked down sadly. "Yeah. He wanted to get back to your world, but—**he died here.**" Snow had apparently seen a need to lift the mood, so she began stroking Babbo's head. "This is amazing. He's really alive. Hello, Babbo-san!!" Babbo stuttered a 'hello' back to the smiling hime-sama. "Ed! May I take Babbo-san for a little walk outside?" Alan/Ed, "Hmm? Well, I don't feel any magic around here, so it should be fine! But don't go talking outside, ball!!" "**WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BALL, WRETCH?!!"** As Snow and Babbo ran outside, Alan sighed heavily. "She's a strong one…normally, there's no way you can smile like that." With Amy, Jack, and Ginta staring at Alan, he proceeded to explain.

"She's a princess who has been through nothing but hardships since she left the castle. She was once a protected girl who knew nothing of the true workings of the world. Her mother died…then she was separated from her father—and then that wench of a step-mother tried to use her!" Jack and Ginta were looking gravely at Alan, while Amy stared at Snow through the window. _Why? I…could never keep smiling for real like that…most of my smiles…are forced…_Her thoughts were interrupted by Alan. "Even then, she doesn't get down. And she smiles. 'Someday something good will happen'. And when people see her, she smiles…" Alan's face took on a look of downright fury. "Children shouldn't be put through emotions like that. **They're the ones who create things like this! The Chess!!**"

Silence reigned through the group until…"Ossan! Snow's house is being used by the Chess, right? Then...let's go there!" Ginta stood up with a triumphant look on his face. "And we'll beat all of the Chess that are there!! If they wanna find us, then we'll let them!!" Amy grinned and nodded. "I was planning on going there anyway!! Let's kick their butts!" Jack was…"Not bad, Ginta!" Alan…looked surprised. "…It's a long way. Didn't you wanna get back home?" Ginta gave a big grin. "**I'll take care of that later!! I wanna protect this world, too!"** Alan stared at Ginta and smiled. Ginta was giving Jack and Amy high fives for the riveting speech. He then stood up with a large smirk on his face. "You say some brazen things, kid! What could someone who almost lost to a Rook do in the Chess's stronghold? Can you get strength like Danna's? Can you…defeat the Chess?!" Ginta was silent before he answered:

"_**I'll get stronger. And I'll beat them."**_

Jack nodded and Amy replied, "Well, I guess a little more training wouldn't hurt…" The group was silent as they waited for Alan's reply. He looked watery-eyed and like he thought Ginta was an idiot. _Which he is…_Amy thought sarcastically. "Yosh..." Alan grabbed his coat and began putting it on. He called for Snow and made an announcement. "Starting today, we'll joining up with these three! And we'll be using 'it' for the first time in a while! **You three wanted to be strong, right?**" Jack and Ginta nodded but Amy interjected a statement of her own. "I'm sorry…but I don't consider myself a part of this group." Everyone stared at her, but she continued. "I'll stay with you guys for a while, but…when I get enough resources; I'm heading off to face the Chess. I…promised my master that I'd do this. Please, don't take it personally." Alan was silent, and then he replied, "If you have a promise, then be my guest. I just hope you don't regret that action." Amy nodded. Snow and Jack looked a bit teary-eyed and Ginta looked a bit deflated, but they nodded as well. They were ready for anything!!

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A bit later:

Anything, except hiking through the forest. (AN: G means Ginta, J means Jack, A means Amy)

J – WHAT'RE WE DOING THERE?!

G – YOU SAID YOU'D TRAIN US, OSSAN!!

A - …I'm hungry. I WANT COOKIES!!

The party came to a stop in a clearing where Alan then turned to face the three whiners (and Snow). "Now calm down! Ginta, that's your only ÄRM, right?" Ginta nodded seriously. "Phantom's ÄRM, Babbo!" Alan gave a smirk in Babbo's direction. "Brings back memories. The one who sealed it 6 years ago…was me, back when I was a part of the Cross Guard." Ginta looked freaked out. "Then…the one who made that giant cave…was YOU?!" "Right. You know, the treasure chest's an ÄRM! You can't move it or break it! And only those who lack Magic Power are able to open it!! Of course, this was the only way to keep those fools in the Chess from getting to it! And if you have no magic, then there's no way you could defeat the guardian!! Basically, the guardian and the box are a matched set. That was the trap!!" Amy, of course, had no idea what was going on, so she sat down on the grass and plucked a nearby flower. She then began twirling it in between her fingers. Ginta was now beginning to demand to know what 'magic power' was. Alan then got a smirk on his face. "Magic Power. …someone's been over there for a while who can explain it better than I." He then rose up a hand and exploded a nearby column. A figure was revealed to be crouching behind the destroyed pillar. "Come out here." Alan commanded. As the figure stepped out…it revealed itself to be Dorothy! She was hacking and muttering about old men who didn't think before they acted.

Ginta – Dorothy!! (smiling widely)

Babbo – WENCH!!

Jack – Pretty onee-sama!! (hearts in his eyes)

Snow - ?

Amy - …do you have any cookies with you?

Alan began to question Ginta. "The woman in the castle, right? A Chess?" Ginta shook his head energetically. "I met her when I first got here!! We took Babbo together!!" Alan paused and began thinking that over, probably forming a diagram in his head. "I see. You didn't take Babbo, so you must not be with the Chess." Dorothy ignored his comment and marched straight up to him, broom in hand and thoroughly seething. "Hey, old man!! What're you doing with Gintan? If you're planning something weird, then I'll be your opponent!" Alan smirked evilly. "Well, you sure can talk big. You wanna have a go?"

"You mustn't fight!"

Snow stood between Alan and Dorothy with arms outstretched. Snow smiled. "She's a friend of Ginta's, right? Then she can't be a bad guy!!" Dorothy stared at Snow and her expression got angrier and angrier which poor Snow was confused about. Amy groaned, "Come one, Snow! I was about to sell tickets to willing customers!" Everyone in the vicinity turned to stare at the deranged Amy, who was currently calculating a plan to use the current situation to her money-making. Alan turned away and began another explanation. "'Magic Power' is a special ability that allows us to control ÄRMs. Basically, the powers of an ÄRM user! In order to use the stronger ÄRMs, an ÄRM user first needs to gain experience and create a reserve of power. And that reserve is a measure of his strength! By the way, the magic power I fell from you two is…" Jack and Ginta listened in eagerness for Alan's praises and—"0!!" Um…never mind. "So, you're weak!" Then he pointed at Amy. "However, her magic power is very high! The result of fine training!" Amy offered a sympathetic smile to the two 'weaklings'. Ginta and Jack were not happy, though. They proceeded to rant about how they trained, and Alan broke in and pointed out they trained physically, not their magic power. Jack then showed Alan his Battle Scoop and Alan…collapsed laughing because of how weak it was. During all this, Amy was staring at the clouds and lazily using magic to change the cloud's shapes so she could look at something interesting. "Now listen—"Amy however, ignored Alan's lecture to Ginta and Jack and ignored Alan's giving of Magic Stones to Ginta.

_WHAT?!_

Why must the characters make me out to be a liar? Anyway…Amy bolted up to stare at the Magic Stones in Alan's hand. She suddenly got a shiver down her spine and had a vision of a roomful of corpses…bloody corpses. (AN: in case you're confused, Amy has the gift of sight that kinda like seeing the future, only it shows her something that's happening at the exact same time but far away.) The others weren't paying attention to her, as they were looking at Ginta who placed his new Magic Stones in Babbo's hammer and was eagerly questioning Alan on how to use them. Alan quietly said, "Starting now…that's for you to decide for yourself." He pulled out a chain with a wolf figure at the bottom and held it out.

"Dimension ÄRM—'Shuuren no Mon'!"

Two large gates appeared beneath Ginta & Snow and Dorothy & Jack. Snow was the only one who remained calm as the other three screamed their heads off as they plummeted to an unknown dimension. Amy was left behind with Alan who stared at the now closed doors. "Danna used this to gain incredible strength. How you use it is up to you! Ginta, Jack!!" Amy stared at the doors and then bluntly asked, "Why didn't you make me go in there?" Alan looked at her, then stated, "I need someone to help me defend these doors—""Liar! You're perfectly capable of defending yourself!" "You're a pretty cheeky brat, you know that?" "GRR…" But for some odd reason, Amy stuck around Alan. He began to smoke a cigar, and muttered, "To live or die, it's up to you. Ginta." They stood in silence for a while, and then Alan looked out of the corner of his eye. "Come out. You in the bushes!" Amy stood up quickly and got into her primary defensive position. A tall, lanky boy walked out of the bushes. He had dark, spiky hair and an angry pixie on his shoulder…"It's been a long time, Alan-san!" Amy dropped her position and gawked. "Alviss?"

* * *

Well, I'd like to apologize for that very long wait…I'M SORRY!!!! I feel ashamed…don't hurt me!! Please wait patiently for the next chapter, which will come sooner than this one did! 

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Hime-sama – princess

-chan – an honorific used primarily for girls and cute things

-hime – princess

-obaasama – respectfully calling somebody Grandmother

Ossan – old man

'Shuuren no Mon' – Gate of Training

Kawaii – cute

Onee-sama – older sister (respectful)


	7. New People and more Chess ?

I started early on this chapter so I would have it ready in time! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!

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xChibiTenshix: Sorry about that. I think it might have to do with the fact that I deleted the petition…WHICH I NEVER GOT TO USE!!! Ugh…I have horrible luck…um…your favorite knight is…um…Galian?

Nick-kun: Thankee-sankee! Amy is grateful as well. I'm trying to make this story as free-flowing and fun as possible.

Sheri-chan: I see. I'd like to thank you for putting forth that comment. It gives me a chance to improve my story. So, thankee-sankee!

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Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

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Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

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Disclaimer: Cookie – I…want…a…KITTY!

Ginta – What?

Cookie – You heard me!

Alviss – Where are you going to get a cat?

Cookie – Simple! I'll change one of the cast members into a cat!

Cast - …WHICH ONE?!

Cookie – That's up for the readers to decide! Leave your vote in a review and I'll change one of the cast members into a cat during an Intermission!

Nanashi – I'm too hot to be a cat!!!

Cookie – I do not own MÄR, the ÄRMs, or the weeping Nanashi! I only own Amy and her ÄRMs…don't think because I created you that you're out of the count!

Amy – NOOOOOO!

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_Flashback & Thought & Story Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

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I'm going to concentrate on this chapter so I'll have it up soon…hopefully. I think I might have to change the rating for what I have planned…if I made a character drunk, would I have to make the story rated T?

* * *

Chapter 7: New people and more 'Chess'?!

_Recap:_

"_It's been a long time, Alan-san!" "Alviss?"_

_: End Recap_

Amy grinned and got closer to him, much to the chagrin of a certain fairy. "Alviss! I can't believe it! I didn't think we would meet again!" He smiled in reply to her childlike eagerness. "It's nice to see you again, too Amy." Alan had been watching this conversation with a dumbfounded look on his face. His eyes suddenly widened and he yelled, "Oh wow! I remember you! You were that kid in the Cross Guard 6 years ago! You sure grew up, Alviss!!" Alviss was grinning happily that Alan remembered who he was. Alan then stared at Alviss's arm, where a red forked tattoo was. His eyes grew cold as he stated, "And it looks like…you've been slightly violated…a reciprocal…the cost for that victory was high…the curse…then." Alviss looked sadly down at his arms and touched them lightly. Alan continued, "I united with a dog, and you…" He broke off as Amy shot him a glare for making Alviss uncomfortable.

Alviss had this slight, melancholy smile on his face as he softly said, "Yes…I don't have much time before this tattoo encompasses my entire body. So—this time, I can't afford to not defeat Phantom. And for that reason…I reached for Monban Pierrot." Alan crossed his arms and nodded. "Now I see. So you were the one to call Ginta here! When I called Danna over, he became a good partner. Are you planning on teaming up with Ginta, Alviss?" Alviss got this look of disbelief on his face as he bluntly said, "He's too weak. Partner? He'd only drag me down." Alan and Amy: O.O; Amy suddenly burst out laughing. As they stared at her, she managed to gasp out, "You're…so harsh…Alviss…" And then, she collapsed to another fit of the giggles. When she was quieted down, Alviss continued with seriousness in his eyes. "And…over the time I was in the Cross Guard, I saw the Chess kill countless numbers of my comrades. People I thought of as my brothers…Danna-san…and…" He broke off painfully, and then he inhaled and exhaled deeply and continued.

"**And…Adrian…"**

Amy's blood grew cold and she felt numb. _…Adrian?_ Alan looked saddened as well and Alviss's eyes were now hidden. "He was…my best friend! Wouldn't it be better…if we didn't create anymore memories like that?" Alan's face was back to normal and he was silent. He then replied, "It's true. The fool's weak. And he may not be all that reliable. But…you were the one who called him here—and he took Babbo, which I sealed!! Do you really think it's just a coincidence?" Alviss's face showed his surprise about the answer that Alan gave. Suddenly, Amy's ears picked up a signal that was being given through a triangular-shaped earring she had on. Her eyes grew wide at what she heard.

"THE CHESS PIECES HAVE STARTED THE SECOND WAR!! WE NEED BACK UP!"

She threw a desperate look at Alan and Alviss. Alan's face showed impassiveness, while Alviss…"You must hear them, Alan-san! The town needs our help…let's go to them!" Amy began arguing on behalf of Alviss as well, seeing as how Alan didn't respond. "There are SOS messages coming from every country!! This is proving that the majority of the Chess's power has returned!!" Alviss, too upset to notice exactly what she said, nodded fiercely. "And the reason behind it…Phantom has—**risen again**!" Alviss was pleading with Alan and Amy had dropped out of the conversation. "You're Danna-san's partner; I ask of you, go to them…"

"…Amy, Alviss."

Alviss stopped and listened to Alan as he began to speak. "I have a favor to ask you two. Go and help them." Then, he said something that shocked Alviss and made Amy sigh sadly.

"**But I'm staying here."**

Alviss was silent for a split second, then burst out angrily, "What are you saying, Alan-san?! You're not coming!? The Great Hero Alan was nothing like this!! Are you that afraid of the Chess!?" "Alviss…" Amy decided to tell Alviss the real reason Alan wasn't moving, but he wouldn't listen. The smoke from Alan's cigar was puffing off lazily into the distance and Alan didn't respond for a moment. Then, he replied; "Now I'm Ed. I'll leave it to you, Alviss and Amy." Alviss's eyes grew dark with anger and he muttered, "…I have…misjudged you!" He then turned and began to run and Amy went with him, but they paused when they heard a faint remark. "…Take care of the girl, kid." Alviss paused, and then he nodded and continued to run. Amy looked back once, and then ran to catch up with Alviss.Alan was soon lost to the distance as the two teens (and Bell) sprinted towards the nearest town to provide the help they desperately needed. (AN: Amy still has those ÄRMs on that she equipped when they went to rescue Snow…go back to that chappie if you want to know what they are!)

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Slight Time Skip:

Alviss was whacking Pawns back and forth with his 13 Totem Pole and Amy was slashing their vital spots with a light, easily handled katana. They were fighting 2 to about 100, and they were doing great! As they finished off the last Pawn, Amy looked up and saw two figures surveying the Pawns and all the damage. The first one was none other than Loco, who looked blank as always. The other one…looked the same age as Alviss. Amy thought it was a girl because of the long hair, but she realized (with embarrassment at herself) that it was a guy. The guy was wearing white slacks with matching boots and a light blue jacket with a white ruffle on the left shoulder. Loco said something intelligible, then teleported away. However, the boy continued to stare at Amy and Alviss. _We shouldn't rush into thi—_Alviss ran and then jumped high into the air towards the boy. "ALVISS!" Amy was about to jump after him, but then the boy on top of the pillar…just let himself fall forward. As the teen boys got closer to each other, their individual Magic Power surrounded them and provided a shell. She looked away as they were about to impact…a large BOOM filled the vicinity and she felt something large and heavy hit her head. _It's a rock…_she managed to think before her world went dark…

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Another Time Skip:

Amy's head felt like it was about to burst, but the soft ground she was lying on was really helping…_WAIT A MINUTE!_ _Ground isn't soft! _Her eyes shot open to reveal a certain teen ÄRM-user staring back at her. She sat up immediately, ignoring all pain, and turned around to stare at Alviss. Apparently, her head was resting on his lap. (AN: I know, the guy's head always rests on the girl's lap…but…I WANTED TO BE DIFFERENT!! _BWAHAHAHAHA!!!_)

Anyway…let's ignore the crazy author and get on with the story…

Amy's face turned a bright pink and she looked at her knees. "How long was I out?" she murmured softly. "About 30 minutes." Alviss replied shortly. She looked questioningly at the stoic boy. "The boy teleported away after we bounced off each other's magic shells and you got conked in the head by some debris, so I was just waiting for you to wake up." Amy got up and began to stretch her sore muscles. After she finished, she stuck a hand in her pocket and grinned cheerfully, "See ya!", and began to walk off. She could hear Alviss's voice question, "Where are you going?" She paused to turn around and face him, and then replied, "I'm going back to Alan-san. Somehow, I think I'll get more quickly to my destination if I went with him." She felt like she was being really rude, but Alviss didn't seem offended. She then grinned cheekily. "Don't worry! I'll see you again! I'm positive of it!" He nodded and smiled back at her. She then turned and made her way back to Alan. But before that…"Alviss? Alan…couldn't move. He had Guardians activated. That's why…he trusted it all to you." With that, Amy began to run to Alan and the Training Gates. She had this gut feeling something bad was happening to him…and her gut was usually accurate.

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Time Skip to a bit later:

After 10-15 minutes of running, she was just outside of the clearing where Alan was. She paused to catch her breath, and to listen to the conversation Alan was having with some unwelcome guests. "I found you! Doggy Guy!" She heard the obnoxious voice of Ian, the weakling Rook from the Ice Castle. She looked past the tree she was hiding behind and saw a cloaked Pawn wearing a full face mask. _And he brought one of his cronies…_she swore quietly, and then smacked herself mentally. _No swearing! I've got to replenish my stamina!_ She then began breathing in controlled breaths. She heard Alan speak in a low tired under tone, and then she heard Ian say in a very evil tone, "Where's Ginta?" Amy stood up from her crouched position to peer between the tree's branches. Alan still hadn't turned around and said something that sounded like 'taking a bath' before he was attacked brutally in the back. _ALAN!_ Amy tried to calm down as best she could so she could focus on attacking the Ian jerk. His arms were outstretched and he said, "No counter-attack today? Well, I won't hold back either way." Alan stretched up and placed a new cigar in his mouth and lit it with a Flame ÄRM. "…You know, I was getting bored being here all alone. **You'll be a good way to keep myself awake.**" Amy could hear hatred spewing from Ian's every word. "You know…I don't like you. I think that face of yours—**would look better with tears.**" With that, Amy could hear the Python Whip whistle towards Alan. She rushed out of the trees and ran in front of Alan while activating a particularly suitable ÄRM of hers.

"Weapon ÄRM, Bubble Wand!"

A giant bubble wand (the kind that comes with the bubble container) appeared in her hand and she waved it toward the advancing Python Whip. Dozens of giant blue bubbles floated lazily over towards the Whip and imprisoned the tip in a bubble. "What the--?" Ian pumped more magic into the Whip, obviously trying to pop the bubble, but the bubble held fast. "Don't bother. It's resistant to Magic Power." Amy stood her ground in front of Alan, clutching the Bubble Wand across her chest. _Alan…until the others get back…I'll defend you with my life!_ (AN: NO, Amy is not in love with Alan…if I told you why she was acting like that, it would spoil everything!)

She rushed towards Ian, Bubble Wand in hand, and while she ran, the edge became razor sharp. As she was about to slash through Ian, the Pawn blocked her attack with a sword ÄRM. The Pawn was then overpowered and fell backwards. Amy decided it wasn't worth it and jumped back in front of Alan. He had taken off his coat and was bracing himself. "It's about time you got back, brat!" Amy chuckled and then frowned. She turned around angrily and yelled, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BRAT?!" Alan barked (laughed) and then grinned. "Let me help you out, kid!" He then lifted his hand up and aimed it at the bubble encasing the Whip. The bubble burst and the Whip was destroyed…and then other Whips rushed towards Amy and Alan. Amy: "What?!" Alan: "Chi!" (AN: He's making this tsking sound.)

Alan was forced to block the Whips with his arms, while Amy blocked them with her Wand, but was pushed back by the force of the attack. She noticed the Pawn was standing up again and Ian had this smarty-pants look on his face. "Even with your sixth sense, you couldn't follow them? Since you took care of the ones before so easily, I brought some different ÄRMs this time. Back in the castle, I had 2 Python Whips—this time, it's the Weapon ÄRM 'Octopus' which means I have 8 different ways to attack! Not to mention the ability to regenerate." He raised his arm half-threateningly and questioned again.

"**Where…is Ginta?" **

Amy pursed her lips but remained silent. Alan staggered a bit before replying, "Maybe he's over there climbing some mountains or somethin'?" The Pawn began to move forward again, but Ian stopped them with a simple gesture. "Now, now ♫." Ian began to talk to Alan. "You were in the war before, Doggy Guy, so you should know about our class system. You both seem to know that I'm a 'Rook'. Sure, I aim for a higher class…but I'm still low on the totem pole. Doggy Man, with your strength and magic—in terms of our class system…**You're a Knight.**" Alan didn't look fazed, instead continuing to smoke his cigar. "The girl is probably close to the class of a Bishop." Amy drew an almighty angry look and glared at the offending Rook. "But Doggy Man…the battle you had with Halloween 6 years ago is legendary even for us!" Ian then began to voice his thinking aloud. "But I wonder why? You can't even dodge the attacks of a Rook! And then I thought of something…" Ian had this oh-look-at-me-I'm-sooooo-superior-to-you look on his face. "And I started wondering why you refused to move from that spot. You've been there for days! You haven't eaten or had anything to drink. And—you haven't slept." Amy inhaled quietly. _He's smarter than he looks…and a whole lot meaner than he looks as well!_ "You know, there are things ÄRM-users don't do. When your body's in its worst condition, you can't call out your powers. And without your power, you can't synchronize with your ÄRM. In other words, your sixth sense, your Magic Powers, have been lowered!" Ian then lashed out at the unsuspecting Amy and weakened Alan. This onslaught was particularly brutal and Amy and Alan were getting bruised and cut all over their bodies. "Right now—"Ian stopped his attack and Amy sat heavily on the ground, breathing deeply. "**You're a Rook! **And that leads me to the big question…**Why do you refuse to move from that spot?"** Ian then opened eyes lazily. "But it's not that you won't move."

"**You can't move."**

Amy's head shot up to stare at Ian. _How in the world did this idiotic-looking guy figure all this out?! _Alan didn't seem disturbed in the slightest. "You're protecting something! Like, for example…those two things on the ground behind you—those doors!" Ian then adopted this cat-like expression on his face and cutely said, "Ne ♫?" Alan then straightened his figure into a crouch and Amy stood and held her Bubble Wand like a spear. Alan's face twisted into this large, sadistic grin and looked…REALLY CREEPY!!! (AN: The font I'm about to use is to emphasize the creepiness of Alan's voice at this very moment.) _**"For even a monkey to understand, you should be proud of yourself! Try and get to them if you like! That is if you can get by me first!" **_Amy shivered in fear mentally. _He's being so creepy right now…I'M SCARED!!!_ She then straightened and remarked, "You'll also have to get by me!!!" Instead of replying…Ian began attacking them both again, this time more harshly than before. Amy couldn't block the attacks at all, and fell to the ground. The Whips then began to slash her skin open and beating her to an inch of her life. _I…promised…Master…that I…wouldn't…use…i—_her thoughts were cut off as she fell unconscious. (AN: Sorry for knocking her out all the time, but honestly…I think Ginta would be even more driven if he saw his new friend unconscious and bleeding! Ehehehe…)

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Intermission

Cookie – Well, this is the 1st edition of the newly revised Intermission! I'm gonna spy—er…see what the cast is doing during their break time! So, follow me and keep quiet!

(Cookie darts around the studio, singing the 'Mission Impossible' theme. She stops in front of a door with 'Lounge' on it, and peeks inside.)

(Ginta, Snow, Alviss, and Jack are playing…STRIP GO-FISH!)

Cookie – (gasps) I invented Strip Go-Fish and they're playing it without me?! This calls for…BLACKMAIL!!

(AN: Ok…I've never played any kind of strip game and I have no idea how to play Poker so I thought of Go-Fish instead! So…it doesn't really exist…here are the rules I just made up: You have to take a piece of clothing off every time you ask for a card and they say 'Go Fish!' Um…that's basically it…that and the normal rules…)

(Cookie pulls out a camera and begins to record them.)

(1 hour later, she stops recording.)

Cookie – Well, everyone is going to have to wait for the next Intermission to see how the game of Strip Go-Fish went! Until next time, thankee-sankee for tuning in!!

-------------------------------

About 10 seconds later:

Amy woke up from her reverie and heard Alan coughing out blood as he sustained ALL the blows from the Octopus Whips. She could feel blood landing on her back, and she couldn't even get up. _I've got to get up!_ She began pushing her self up from her belly-on-the-ground position. As she fell down from her weak attempts, she recalled a far away memory.

_Flashback:_

"_WAHHHHH!" A little 5 year old girl was on the floor, bawling her eyes out because she scraped her knee on a rock she had brought inside the house to play with. Her brown hair hung down her back in a simple braid. Her brown eyes were filled with tears of pain and sadness. "Amy, what's wrong?" The little girl's sobs lowered to sniffles and she looked tearfully up at the shadowed person who had spoken. "My-y knee-e h-hurts…" The girl broke off and began sniffling again. Suddenly, she felt a pressure on her knee. She looked down and saw a Band-aid placed awkwardly on the scrape. Her tear-filled eyes turned to look at the person who had sat next to her. _

_"Does it feel better now?" The person asked with their eyes furrowed in concern. The girl sniffled, "It s-still h-hurt—"She broke off in astonishment as the person leaned over and kissed her knee. Her tears stopped falling and she stared at the person. They straightened out and asked with an embarrassed tinge in their voice, "How about now?" She grinned happily and exclaimed, "All better thanks to you, ------!" The person smiled and said, "What are twins for?" The shadow dissipated to reveal a 5 year old boy with identical brown hair and eyes. 'Amy's' eyes twinkled with renewed happiness. "But, you're the best, Adrian!" He frowned at her and shook his finger. "That's not true! I'm just like you, only…you give up too easily, Amy." She had a puzzled frown on her chubby little face, so 'Adrian' proceeded to explain. "If you never give up, then you'll never be sad anymore! So, you can stop crying to show the people you love you're strong!" 'Amy' took in the words with eagerness and jumped up excitedly. "I'm gonna be strong just like you one day, Adrian!!" He smiled at her and they both went off to play._

_: End Flashback _

_Adrian never gave up…AND NEITHER WILL I!! _With that memory firmly in place and as her shield, Amy pushed herself up and grabbed her Bubble Wand which lay close by. She then rushed in front of Alan and began warding off the attacks. Ian scowled, and sent the Whips faster than ever. As she was knocked back next to Alan, Ian raised his arms and declared, "And the finisher!!" As the Whips headed toward Amy and Alan, she was too shocked to respond and he just narrowed his eyes in tiredness. Suddenly, a bright light temporarily blinded Amy, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a certain blond with a dagger on his right arm and pieces of the Octopus Whip falling all around. "GINTA!!" Amy was beyond happy to see the annoying shrimp. Ian was surprised and Alan looked relieved. Snow was behind him and cried out happily, "We're back Ed!!" Ginta nodded, a scar visible on his face, and solemnly stated, "180 days of training complete."

Amy: O.O _180 DAYS?! How did they survive?! I could barely get through 10 with Master…_She shook the thoughts off and concentrated on the situation. Ginta's dagger arm shrunk back into a ball-shape that was still on his right hand. He was looking very seriously at Ian. Snow and the Pawn were also staring at one another. Ian, however…"Ooh, Ginta! I've been waiting for you…" …yup, Ian was officially an idiot in Amy's book. He broke off and his large grin faded as he stared at Ginta. Not that Amy could blame him for that, because she was also staring at him. _No way…his Magic Power is, like, off the wall!! Amazing!_ She then stopped thinking when she heard Ginta say very quietly, "…Oi. Ossan!"

He was probably going to say something like 'I was so worr—"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?! You're way stronger than this, Ossan! How'd the both of you get so beat up?!" Snow interrupted Ginta's rant gently. "That's not it, Ginta…Ed was…unable to move, even if he wanted to. Using the Guardian ÄRMs and sending us to the other dimension had sealed his movements and magic. The navigator for Jack and Dorothy, Bumolu-san, and Merilo-san. When those two were invoked, Ed lost his ability to move. And the Dimension ÄRM 'Shuuren No Mon'…that ÄRM used the vast majority of his magic power…of course, if he closed the gate, his power would return. But with us inside, if the doors were closed even for an instant, we would be force to spend an eternity in the training grounds." Ginta had surprise in his eyes, but Snow continued, while looking down. "Ed was protecting us. He believed in us…and was waiting…" Alan decided to make an entrance. "Yo. Ginta." He lit a cigar and placed in his mouth.

"**I've been waiting for you."**

Amy nodded and chirped, "I've been waiting as well!" Ginta looked shocked, and then his eyes were hidden, but he smiled. "It's good to be back. Thanks, Ossan. Leave this one to me." Ian looked at him for a moment, and then sent his Octopus ÄRM at Ginta. Ginta slashed them all with his Dagger Arm, and when they came back, he did again and again. Finally he unleashed his final strike.

"Babbo Version 2! Bubble Launcher!"

Babbo transformed into a gun of sorts and Ginta fired pink Babbo-shaped bubbles at Ian. He slashed at them with his Whips, only to discover…

KABOOM!!

…the bubbles were explosive. Ian, seriously wounded, talked quietly with the Pawn next to him. Jack and Dorothy decided to make their grand appearance right then. "Hey! What did we miss?" The Pawn then looked at the new people. "I may not be able to defeat the blond kid…" The Pawn had a deep, robotic, masculine voice. "But…I can defeat the one with the lowest Magic!" With that, the Pawn charged towards Jack, wielding the Sword ÄRM from earlier. Jack wasn't the same as before, though.

"Earth Wave!"

As he plunged his shovel into the ground, a gigantic seismic wave went plowing towards the Pawn. The Pawn was knocked back with an "Ugh!" Ian then held up his hands in surrender. "Ginta…if you let me use this for them…" He held up a Holy ÄRM. "Then I'll give it to you after I use it and we'll leave peacefully. Is that ok?" Everyone stared at Ginta waiting for his almighty judgment…"OK!" Amy: --; _I should be used to this by now…_Ian then gently held the Pawn up and put the hood down. He then removed the Pawn's mask. All Hell broke loose once they saw who was behind the mask. It was a woman with short, spiky yellow hair that ended with orange tips and had orange eyes.

Jack, Dorothy, Ginta, Snow, and Amy: O.O "THAT WAS A GIRL?!"

As the healing light from the ÄRM flowed around the woman, Amy could hear her murmur an apology to Ian. Ian then said, "Don't worry about it, Gido." When he finished, he tossed the ÄRM and Snow caught it deftly. He then pulled Gido's arm over his shoulder and saluted Ginta cheerfully before teleporting away.

The group quickly went to Alan and asked, "Alan, are you okay?" He grinned in reply, "Never bett—"He then flopped on the ground, fast asleep. _…That was his best? That's pretty sad…_ Amy was then shaken out of it when she saw a glow surrounding Alan as he turned back into…"ED!!" Snow and Amy glomped the poor dog at the same time, resulting in a group hug. "HIME-SAMA!" Ed hugged Amy and Snow back with a strength he hadn't shown before. After this touching reunion, Ed stood up and walked over to Ginta. He smiled at the boy. "Thank you for saving Snow-hime, Ginta-dono." Then, his expression turned livid. "WHY DID YOU KISS SNOW-HIME, THOUGH?!" Ginta and Snow blushed a bright red and Dorothy shrieked, "WHAT?! Please tell me it isn't true!! Both of you get away from each other!!!" She then pushed Ginta and Snow apart. Amy sighed in exasperation. _Honestly…when will they all get along?_

-------------------------

After many denied accusations:

Jack and Dorothy crowded around Ginta and Snow. Jack asked curiously, "Say…Ginta! What's that? A new ÄRM?" Jack gestured to a silver dog tag hanging around Ginta's neck with the underside of Babbo etched on it. Ginta held it between his fingers. "Hn? Nope! It's just a dog tag!" Ginta looked up with a big grin on his face. "Snow made it for me!" Jack grit his teeth and was shaking angrily. "Heeeeeeh. Good fer you." When he said it, though, it didn't sound like he meant it. Dorothy bounded over to Ginta, grinning cheerfully and holding a small ring between her fingers. "Gintaaaan, I'll give you the Dagger Ring!" Ginta merely refused, saying he had Babbo's Dagger Arm, so he didn't need the ring. While Dorothy was reeling from the refusal, Babbo laughed evilly. (AN: More like proud evil…) "The model for the dog tag is me!! Isn't that great!?" Everyone ignored Babbo or told him to shut up as they began talking amongst themselves. "Aren't you guys fighting to defeat the Chess Pieces?" Dorothy was questioning Snow, Jack, Ginta, and Amy. (Amy: I'm not in their group!!) "Then why don't you just join the Cross Guard instead of starting a new group?" Snow was silent before answering, "…I ran from Lestarva because of a prophecy that I received while I was still in the castle.

_Please escape from the castle, Hime. And then—_

_You shall make a new faction. _

_Search out 8 youths._

_And with their help…_

_You will most surely save Mär-Heaven._

(AN: I know, its 7 youths, but I had to change it for…fic purposes.) Snow then began to count aloud. "Eight…"

Ginta: 1

Ed/Alan: 2

Jack: 3

Dorothy: 4 (?) "You're…not counting me in this, are you?"

Amy: 5 (?) "I TOLD YOU, I'M NOT IN YOUR GROUP DARNIT!"

Babbo: 6 (?) _And I'm…I must be…I'm in it, right?!_

"The Cross Guard has been all but destroyed. Yesterday, they lost most of their forces. And with Danna-san gone, the will to fight has faded in almost all of the soldiers. And that's why." Snow's eyes were filled with determination. "That's why we're starting a new group to fight the Chess!" Ginta put his hands on his waist and loudly deduced, "If we count Snow, it's a team of 9! Not too bad!" He had ignored any remarks that Amy had made about not being on the team. She had a good mind to bash his head in with the frying pan she was going to use to wake him up with at the Ice Castle, but she restrained herself. "And our name – with nine warriors fighting to save Mär-Heaven!"

"**How 'bout 'MÄR'?"**

Jack and Amy grinned widely. "I like it!" Ed (who was no longer mad at Ginta) crossed his arms in approval. "Hm. Well thought out." Babbo looked angry for some reason. "Is 'Babbo's Storm Troopers of Victory' no good?" Dorothy then stared at the idiotic talking ÄRM. "You really should shut up 'cause you're stupid…" Ed ignored any and all arguments and brightly said, "Well then 'MÄR'!!" He then tossed an ÄRM into the air. "Shall we be off?' A giant carpet poofed out of where the ÄRM was tossed moments ago. Everybody crowded around the giant carpet in excitement. "UWAAAAH, what's this?!" Ginta and Jack were easily excited. Amy…not so much. "'Magic Carpet'…it's a transportation ÄRM." Ed nodded. "WE don't possess any long-distance migratory dimension ÄRMs, so we can't travel as easily as the Chess. But Pajilika and the Mainland aren't far apart, so this should be enough!" Ginta then nodded in determination. "Then let's go! To the continent of Hild!"

"NO WAY!!" Ginta and friends paused and looked behind them. Amy was hugging a tree as though her life depended on it and had her legs wrapped around the trunk as well and had her eyes squeezed shut. "I…am not going in the air!!" Ginta whispered to the clueless Snow, Ed, and Dorothy: "Amy's really scared of heights." Understanding dawned on Snow and Ed's faces while…Dorothy was looking particularly crafty and sly. "Heeeeeeeyyyy, Amy-chan!" Amy cracked an eye open at the young witch. Big mistake. Dorothy advanced while holding a long piece of rope. "WHAT ARE YO—"Amy was cut off as Dorothy tied a piece of cloth on her mouth and pried her away from the tree and tied her up tightly. Now, there was 1 triumphant Dorothy and 1…well…pissed off Amy. (AN: MY MOUTH!!! IT'S DIRTY!!!!) This was not going to be a pleasant trip.

----------------------------

Guess what? Another Time Skip:

_The first thing I'm going to do when I get untied…_Amy was devising a list she affectionately called: "Ways I'm gonna kill that stupid witch" She was so angry, she didn't even notice when Ginta bounced on the Carpet, when everyone asked him what 'Aladdin' was when he mentioned it, when Ed told Ginta about the notorious witch Dorothy, or even when Dorothy laughed a very witchy laugh after Ed 'complimented' her. She didn't hear the crying Jack or the curious Snow, or the elated Ginta. She didn't even notice Snow's cry of, "The mainland!! It's the continent of Hild!" or the shadowy figures lining the shore. She was also trying to keep balance and not look down.

She did, however, notice the spears and other weapons that came flying toward the carpet and the screams of her traveling companions. She did notice when the weapons pierced the carpet and it began to plummet to the ground. …Oh yeah, she noticed **that.** She heard her new friends as the carpet was falling.

Jack: "WE'RE FALLING!?"

Snow: "Kyaaaaahh!!"

Ed: "HIME-SAMA!!"

Babbo: "A gentleman must be calm in times like these…

Amy: _OMG!!! I'M GONNA DIE! BUT, I CAN'T DIE!! I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE MOON, OR KISSED A BOY, OR READ THAT BOOK I LEFT BEHIND!!!_

Luckily for the travelers, they landed on the shore of the continent instead of in the water. Amy was on her side, still tied and gagged, but she couldn't care less. Her eyes were spinning, her hearing had temporarily abandoned her, and all she could say was, "Ara ara ara…" As such, she didn't hear Ginta's frantic, "Is everybody ok?!" and their murmured replies. Just as her senses returned to her, though…she noticed that they were surrounded by a bunch of men with cross-shaped stripes on their shirts. The apparent leader was a young, long-haired, blond man wearing white slacks, a red t-shirt with the peculiar stripe, sneaker-looking shoes, many ÄRMs, a scarf covering his mouth, and a matching red headband. He stared down at them for a minute and finally spoke.

"**Judgment. You gotta reap what you sow.**"

Amy stared at the man wide-eyed. _Is that man part of the Chess?!_ She was so busy mentally freaking out, that she didn't notice the man gesture at her to his men and didn't notice them advancing towards her until it was too late. She tried to scream as she was hoisted over a man's shoulder, but the stupid gag prevented her from doing so. As all her friends screamed, "AMY!!" she was deposited in front of the leader. He knelt down and Amy braced herself for a hit…he gently removed her gag, pulled down his scarf, and asked her, "Are you alright?" She blinked owlishly and nodded once, too dumbfounded to speak. The man then removed the tightly tied ropes and picked her up, cradling her closely to him. Amy stared at him, blinking every once in a while. He then began to walk over to Ginta and the others slowly, and spoke again. "You guys…Chess Pieces, right?" He then gave a grin and, while still holding Amy, he stuck one thumb down.

"**So your sentence is death.**"

_Death?! Well, I was making plans to kill Dorothy, but I wasn't going to include the others in it! _Amy quickly tugged on the man's shirt sleeve to make him listen to her, but he was a bit preoccupied with the angry Ginta. "We're 'MÄR'! You guys're the Chess!!" The man scowled at him. "If you're not the Chess, then why did you have a young girl tied up among you? You were probably kidnapping her!" Amy then poked him and finally looked down at her. "Um…thank you for untying me, but…they're not Chess." He blinked at her and then stared at Ginta and friends. He then looked up and down confusingly as Ginta ranted on. "Starting a fight all of a sudden and stealing our companion! That's not funny, you stupid jerk!" He then stared again at Snow, Jack, Babbo, and Ed. He made this funny oops-I-really-screwed-up face as he questioned, "Maybe…I made a booboo?" Ginta was not amused and proceeded to yell at the strange man. "We're trying to beat the Chess! Now give us back our friend!!" Amy then spotted a breast patch on one of the people standing close to the odd man.

_Are they…Luberia?_

She sighed in relief, but the man (who was still carrying her) smiled slightly. "We're not the Chess, either! We're the Thieves Guild, Luberia!" He then looked seriously at Ginta. "I'm the Boss around here; they call me 'Nanashi'. Sorry for the mistake." Nanashi then sniggered. "I guess there's no way little kids could be the Chess, huh?!" Ginta screamed something at Nanashi about being annoying, but Amy frowned and asked Nanashi a question. "Nanashi-san, are you planning on taking our ÄRMs?" She asked this in an innocent tone, but inwardly: _He lays a finger on my ÄRMs, and I'll send him flying to Antarctica!! _Snow nodded and repeated the question. Nanashi looked surprised and put Amy down on the ground gently before staggering back a bit. Amy went over to Snow and stood next to her, imitating Snow's questioning look. Finally, Dorothy decided to make her appearance, and Amy temporarily forgot about the whole 'tying and gagging' incident. "What's going on?" She landed neatly next to Snow, holding her broom in her right hand. Nanashi adopted this odd look on his face…a look Amy had only seen on Jack when he saw Dorothy. "Yo- I see three very cute girls! Well, I don't take anything from ladies! But…"

He then began to wave his arms around energetically while happily grinning. "I'D LOVE TO ESCORT THEM!!" The thieves then frantically ran to their Boss while yelling, "The Boss's bad habit came up again!!" and "Calm down, Boss!" Snow was oblivious to the compliment, while Dorothy gushed about how he had called her cute and how he couldn't be a bad guy, while Jack was sobbing about Dorothy's lack of attention to him. Amy, however…was a bright red and was shaking slightly. _That's the first time…a guy has called me 'cute'…_She was turning pinker and pinker and she put her head in between her knees in order to stop the blush. When it disappeared, she stood back up and listened to the conversation. "Amy! Do you think we should go back to Luberia's base with these guys?" She looked at Ginta for a moment before answering, "Nanashi-san isn't a bad guy, I can tell that just by looking at him. He got me out of those stupid ropes…WAIT A MINUTE!!" Amy turned to glare at Dorothy who had this oh-look-at-me-I'm-so-innocent look on her face. "You…I'll deal with you later." Ginta sweatdropped, and then he gave their answer to Nanashi. He smiled, "Yosh. We're going home with guests." He then stuck his hand out that had an ÄRM that was closed off by a portal.

"Dimension ÄRM, Andarta!"

"Take all of the people here to the Base!"

They then all were teleported to the Base (which was kind of far) in about…10 seconds? Or was it 5?

-----------------------------------

…Time Skip:

"…Now I get it. The Princess of Lestarva and a boy from another world…and the weird ÄRM used by Phantom. So that's why they wanted it so bad!" Ginta and friends had just got through telling their whole story to Nanashi after they got to the Base. Nanashi was sprawled on a barrel that was on its side. He was staring at the floor and being very serious. "And you'd rather fight than run…MÄR…is it?" Ginta then yelled passionately, "We want to save this world! Save this beautiful world!" Nanashi gave a melancholy smile and tossed three Magic Stones into the air. "Beauty…you may be a little late for that…" The Magic Stones began to glow and bright lights shone out of them.

They then showed three towns…three **destroyed **towns. Ginta, Jack and Snow were shocked. Nanashi stood up solemnly and any trace of a smile was gone from his face. "This…is the current condition of Mär-Heaven." He then began naming about half of the countries in the world, but Amy was shocked to complete numbness. _What if…they got to Master?! She might be taken prisoner or…_She shuddered and blocked those horrible thoughts from her mind. "There's more I want to show you. This way." Amy followed Nanashi rather robotically and only when she saw what he wanted to show them did she snap out of it.

It was a graveyard. Pieces of wood awkwardly shaped in crosses or just sticking straight up marked the graves of…"These are the graves of my Luberia comrades." She fell to her knees in front of a grave and stared at it. _This is just like 6 years ago…_She saw out of the corner of her eye that Nanashi had an expression of loathing on his face. "I will…**never forgive the Chess**." Ginta was staring at the graves as well, but he wasn't on his knees like the nearly-sobbing Amy. "It isn't just here…everywhere, graves are being dug. This is the 'Chess no Koma's' declaration of war!" Ed nodded gravely. "Correct! And if this is the same as it was in the past…after this initial phase is complete, they will move onto Phase 2!" Jack asked, "Phase two?!" Ed was well equipped with knowledge about this particular subject.

"The 'War Game'!"

"They defeat half of the countries, striking fear into others, and then propose a game known as 'Fight'…! It allows them to directly kill all rebels, to take ÄRMs of interest…and to prove that they have the right to rule the world!!" Ed was getting more worried as he kept speaking. "In the War Game 6 years ago…Danna-dono, Alan, and the rest of the Cross Guard were guided to the path of victory! Having lost once in this game, the Chess…will probably revive it to have their revenge! If that occurs, there may not be a way to repeat a victory!" Suddenly, a sudden crash echoed in the valley and everyone stared at…Ginta, who had punched the wall. "A game…?" His voice was incredibly soft and Amy couldn't detect any kind of emotion coming from it. He suddenly looked up, and his eyes were burning.

"**Used to kill people…so it's nothing but a blood sport…!?"**

Amy stared at the fist he was now brandishing, and how it was bloody from the punch. She stood up and walked over to Ginta, meaning to heal his hand…when a thief came running in and screaming for Nanashi. "In Northwest Hild!! In Vestory!! It seems that the Chess may still be there!!" Nanashi held up his hand with Andarta on it. "The Lake City of Vestory, then! It's within range of the Andarta!! So…MÄR?" He held a thumbs-up in front of himself.

"You wanna join me? I'll take you to where they are!"

While some had their doubts (Jack and Babbo) and others accepted instantly (Ginta and Dorothy) Amy…"On one condition." Nanashi stared at the young girl who he had 'bravely rescued'. "I'm not in MÄR or Luberia's group. So…please don't be upset if I vanish while we're in Vestory." Nanashi looked solemnly at her for a moment and then clucked, "Well, are you sure there's nothing I can do to convince you to stay?" She shook her head. "I'm leaving for the War Game after we take care of those Chess." Everyone looked sadly at her before Ginta muttered, "Please take us to Vestory, Nanashi." He grinned and yelled, "Yosh, then it's decided!"

"Dimension ÄRM, 'Andarta', activate!!"

"Take these members…to Vestory!"

As they teleported away, Amy's thoughts were: _Am I going to be able to leave when it's time for me to?_ No one knew what awaited them as they went towards a battle.

* * *

Well, that's all for now folks! Thankee-sankee for reading, waiting, and reviewing! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! (Starts crying) Please review!!

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Yosh – alright

Hime-sama – Princess

-hime – princess honorific

-dono – lord, higher than '-sama'

-chan – reserved primarily for girls and cute things

-san – Mr., Mrs., or Ms

Ossan – old man (respectful)

Chess no Koma – Chess Pieces


	8. The Beginning of The End?

Well, here's another chapter of 'Saving This World'! I hope you will enjoy and thank you for waiting so patiently!!

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MarHeavenAngel: Well, Alviss appreciates your vote (Alviss: No I don't! I don't want to be a cat!) And so do I!

xChibiTenshix: YES! I got it right! I'm…so…FLATTERED!! I'm so happy that you consider this story one of the best MÄR stories out there! I love getting comments like this!

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Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

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Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

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Disclaimer: Cookie – Well, so far there is 1 vote for the entire kitty contest.

Cast - …who is it?

Cookie – Hee hee…Alviss!!

Alviss – _Why me?!_

Cookie – And, if nobody else votes for anyone else by the next chapter…then Alviss will be turned into a cat!

Nanashi – Dude, I feel so sorry for you.

Ginta – Even though Cookie2718 doesn't own MÄR or its characters…WHY DOES SHE GET TO TORTURE US?!

Amy – Hey, you're lucky! I belong to the crazy lady!

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_Flashback & Thought & Story Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

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I changed the rating to T just to be on the safe side…I might insert a bit of language, and I'm planning on using the…alcohol scenes. Nothing nasty, just making a character drunk and making them do strange things…besides, MÄR manga is rated T…

* * *

Chapter 8: The Beginning of the End for Mär-Heaven?!

_Recap:_

"_Dimension ÄRM, 'Andarta', activate!!"_

"_Take these members…to Vestory!"_

_As they teleported away, Amy's thoughts were: Am I going to be able to leave when it's time for me to? No one knew what awaited them as they went towards a battle._

_: End Recap_

As they landed in Vestory, Amy wondered if it was possible to hate somebody so much that you wanted to torture them to death and make the death as slow and as painful as possible. Because…that's exactly how she felt about the Chess when she saw Vestory. It was literally a mound of rubble and the only thing left standing was a big, eerie-looking cave. People were lying down all over the place, wounded, stunned, or dead. Ginta and the others were also staring at the destruction in shock. "What…is this…?" Ginta was just as shocked as Amy was. Nanashi was staring at the town in a defeated way. "The City between Water and Forest, Vestory…the first time I came here, it was so beautiful. But now…" Nanashi broke off, because everyone knew what he was going to say anyway. Jack was shaking from either fear or anger. "Too cruel…" Ginta was livid, and the expression on his face showed all his thoughts about the Chess who had cruelly caused this.

Villagers that could still stand were now making their way over towards the strange people who had just appeared in their village. One of them stepped forward. "You kids…why have you come here?" The others around that one man began to murmur, "The Chess? Or perhaps the Cross Guard…?" The main spokesperson looked down sadly. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Vestory's finished. If you're here to destroy, there's nothing left…if you're here to help, you're too late…" He gestured to the other villagers, some with their head in their hands, others lying on the ground, and some just looking hopelessly at the rubble. "Do as you please. The fields…and the houses are all gone. We don't have the strength to go on…" Ginta's lip quivered slightly, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He then began yelling at the villagers, obviously a desperate attempt to raise their spirits. "Don't say things like that, Oji-san! Cheer up! If it's broken, then just make it again!" The villagers, however, were broken badly, in body and in spirit. "It's pointless…if we rebuild, they'll just destroy it again." The man looked pathetic, as if everything he ever knew was suddenly obliterated in front of his eyes. "You know, I was a member of the Cross Guard. But— I didn't stand a chance…against those two from the Chess Pieces…I was powerless." The man hunched over, trying to stop crying but with no avail. "Even though I tried to protect the village…hk…I couldn't do a thing…!"

Snow looked sympathetically at the Cross Guard man, and then turned to Ed. "Regardless, first, we need to treat the wounded! Ed!" "Yes!" Ed then dashed towards the closest wounded villager, Holy ÄRM in hand (er…paw). Nanashi turned to the former Cross Guard, hands on his hips. "Do you know where those two went?" The man was now kneeling and he had stopped crying. "Yes. They're still in Vestory…" The man pointed to the cave that Amy had noticed when they first came into Vestory. "They went into the cave leading into the underground lake. Said they were going to take the ÄRMs hidden there…" Nanashi then turned to Ginta, Dorothy and Amy. "You going, Ginta?" He asked coolly. Ginta looked at the cave out of the corner of his eye maliciously. "Of course!!" Babbo nodded. Dorothy looked at Ginta with a hint of a smile. "I'll join you, too." Amy stepped towards Nanashi. "I'll kick their butts for destroying this place." The villagers stepped forward weakly stretching out their hands. "You…you aren't planning to fight them, are you? You shouldn't!! And…near the underground lake…the spirits of the dead roam free…!" Amy shuddered, a shiver traveling up her spine. _Ghosts? No one said anything about ghosts…I'm not scared! It's just that…I've never seen one before…_She then heard Ginta say in a confident voice, "Neither scares me. I fight my enemies!" Nanashi, Ginta, Dorothy and Amy all ran to the cave while Ginta yelled, "Cheer up!!" Caught up in the mood, Amy yelled over her shoulder, "We'll defeat them for sure!!" They then entered the cave and began making their way down. Ginta then exclaimed, "We'll risk our lives to defeat the Chess!!" Amy felt Magic Power, particularly strong, and was worried. "Hey, Ginta!" He didn't hear her as they zipped forward though. _Never mind! We'll meet them soon enough!!_ They slowed down once they were inside of the cave and began to chat while walking. Dorothy looked curiously at Ginta. "Say. Gintan! Your face is scary. Are you mad?" Ginta had this childishly angry look on his face that made Amy giggle inwardly. "Of course I am!!" He then began to recall a childhood memory.

"Before…when I was in elementary school, I loved to build models. And one day, I brought one to school. And then— the biggest guy in the class broke it. I was angry and tried to fight back, but I was really weak…and he beat me pretty badly. I was really sad. More than the fact that I lost the model…" Ginta had this melancholy look on his face now. "The fact that I wasn't able to stand up to my enemy was the most painful." Dorothy, Nanashi and Amy were now looking at Ginta and paying attention to his story. "After that, I didn't want to build anymore models. But then my childhood friend Koyuki said something to me—

_Make it again, Ginta! If you stop doing things you like because you're afraid to lose them, that's when you've really lost._

"Because of what she said, I made it again!! Sure, the difference between a plastic model and a village is big, but it's the same concept! I…don't want those people to give up!" Ginta had this determined fire in his eyes that overflowed onto his face. "By coming here to defeat the Chess…I'm trying to be like Koyuki was then!" Nanashi and Amy smiled at Ginta rather proudly while Dorothy was just plain confused. "Plastic model? Elementary school?" Then her confused expression turned to one of horror as her eyes followed a ghoulish white thing that floated by her head. "GYAHHHHHHHH! WHAT WAS THAT?!" Nanashi wasn't perturbed and instead calmly answered, "Looks like the rumors that ghosts appear were true, huh? I could feel cold Magic Power coming from just about everything in here!" Amy then recounted something she had learned in her studies. "I've heard that there were ÄRMs hidden in this cave. It seems that the villagers sealed them here a long time ago. So…that's probably what the Chess are after." Suddenly, they reached a fork in the road, both leading off into creepily shadowed areas. Nanashi regarded them for a moment before stating, "Looks like we split up!" So…only one thing could solve this problem…"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" They threw, and here were the results:

Nanashi – paper

Dorothy – paper

Ginta – rock

Amy – scissors

Nanashi and Dorothy were paired off while Amy…"I'll just go with Ginta." Dorothy didn't look that happy with the arrangements, but she went off with Nanashi anyway. "Watch yourselves, Amy, Ginta!!" Ginta held thumbs up to Nanashi. "Same to you, guys!" They then began to head into their respective trails. Babbo then stopped Ginta with a comment. "Ginta…it's about this Nanashi fellow! It's been bothering me for a while. He has the same scent as you!" Ginta then sniffed his arm in confusion. He broke out into a superior grin "You're talking about things that don't make any sense again! Baaaka!" Babbo then huffed angrily, "Why you insolent fool! Fine, forget it then!" Amy then smacked Ginta upside the head. "You idiot! He means that Nanashi is from another world! Just like you!" Ginta then scratched his head. "But…he didn't say anything about that…"

Amy smacked her forehead in exasperation. "Forget about it…" They then continued to walk on in silence. As they walked, more ghosts began to appear, floating harmlessly nearby. Since she was lacking a form of entertainment, Amy began trying to poke the ghosts. Unfortunately…her hand went right through the ghosts, so she gave up eventually and continued walking on. Babbo then pleasantly lifted the dark mood by asking, "Now then! Shall we be going as we—"Suddenly, his body froze and began to shake. Amy then suddenly grasped her back, for it felt as though something were…burning it. _I don't have anything on my back!! It's completely clear! So, why…?_ Ginta then curiously asked, "What's up, Babbo, Amy?" Babbo and Amy turned to stare at a corner of the cave. "Is someone over there?!" Babbo demanded to know. Amy took out her katana and pointed it threateningly over at the corner. "Show yourself!!" Ginta spun around to look at the corner where something was coming out…Amy was bracing herself for the Chess and for a battle…

But instead…it was a boy, a teenager by the looks of it. He had longish white hair that hung over his right eye and black slacks with a…pink sweater on, and his entire left arm was wrapped in bandages. His eyes were a haunting shade of purple, and he had a friendly look on his face. He had a necklace on that was in the shape of a dagger. Amy didn't lower her sword or her guard after he came out. Ginta yelled at the strange person, "WHO'RE YOU!?" The boy waved his hand around frantically. "I'm sorry; I'm no one suspicious. I'm one of the villagers of Vestory. They call me Tom." Somehow, he had this incredibly honest quality that made Amy put away her sword and walk over to Tom. "Nice to meet you! I'm Amy!" Ginta looked relieved as well. "Is that all? I thought you were Chess!!" Amy didn't notice it at the time, but her back pain disappeared and Babbo looked calm again. Tom smiled at Amy and Ginta gently. "All of us are truly thankful that you people would come here to help us. I came here to help as much as I can. I can't fight, but…I'm willing to guide you through these caves. Would you allow me to accompany you?" Ginta and Amy grinned cheerfully at Tom. "No problem!" Ginta said cheerfully. Amy chimed, "Thank you for your help, Tom!" Ginta then paled considerably when several ghosts floated by them. "And…these ghosts…you're not scared?" Tom looked a little surprised at Ginta's fear. "I'm fine. I like it here so I come often…there's nothing here that I'd be frightened of." Ginta looked strangely at Tom. "You like it here? Weird guy…" Tom sweatdropped a bit at Ginta's comment. "You think so? But I haven't been here for quite some time. It gets me rather nostalgic…" Tom then began to walk forward, and asked a question.

"By the way, your name?"

Ginta grinned widely as he cheerfully answered, "Ginta! Toramizu Ginta!" Tom stopped to talk with Ginta and Amy. "Ginta…what a strange name." Ginta cheerfully took the comment in stride. "Of course! I came from a different world!" Tom smiled a bit wider and his eyes curved upward in enjoyment. "Ooh, what a funny joke." Ginta growled at the offender in anger. "It's not a joke! I really came to Mär-Heaven from a different world! There's this annoying guy named Alviss, see? (Amy: Ginta, Alviss is NOT annoying!) And he called for me with an ÄRM called the 'Monban Pierrot'. So I'm basically a Mär-Heaven newbie!" He then pointed at Babbo. "That's my ÄRM, Babbo! We'll beat the Chess together!" Tom stared at Ginta for a bit, with this odd look on his face. He had this sly smile on his face as he 'hmmm-ed' and spirits floated around him. Ginta wasn't pleased with his answer, however, and began to trample Tom on the ground. "'Hmmmm.'!? Don't hmmmm me!" Amy was frantically trying to get Ginta to calm down. "Ginta…it's not very nice to trample the guide…" Meanwhile Tom was crying out, "Itai! Itai!" He straightened himself out and apologized. "Sorry, I'm sorry. But…the Chess are strong, right?" Ginta replied, "I know that! But I'll beat them. I'll never forgive them! Because of them— there are so many people suffering!" Ginta had this expression that said 'I'll-help-Mär-Heaven-no-matter-what'. "Someone's gotta stop them! And that'll be me!!" Tom's eyes had this look of disbelief in them. (AN: T means Tom, G means Ginta and A means Amy)

T - Just like Danna-san 6 years ago?

G – You know Danna?!

A – Ginta, you idiot, everyone in Mär-Heaven knows who Danna is!

G – Well, sorry!

T – Heh heh…can we all get along? But anyway, Danna is quite famous.

Ginta held up a 'Peace' sign in front of Tom's face. "I'll surpass Danna!" Tom gave him this look that matched Amy's thoughts. _He really is an idiot…_But then, Tom smiled at Ginta pleasantly. "You're getting me excited. I look forward to it…"

-------------------------------------

Intermission

Cookie – Gather round everyone!

Cast – What is it now?

Cookie – Last chappie, I caught y'all playing Strip Go-Fish without me!

Cast – WHAT?!

Cookie – So, as revenge, I filmed you and now I'm gonna show everybody it!

Cast – WAIT! DON—

Cookie – TOO LATE!

_Video:_

_Snow – Ok, everybody take off all jewelry and ÄRMs and place them over in the corner._

_(Everybody does so, and then they go back to the table and sit down)_

_(Snow deals out the cards between: herself, Jack, Nanashi, Dorothy, Ginta, Amy, and Alviss.)_

_Ginta – I'll go first! Alviss, do you have any 3s?_

_Alviss – (smirks) Go Fish._

_Ginta – Grrrr… (Gets a card from the pile and takes off shirt.)_

_Dorothy – WOOT! Shirtless Gintan!_

_Alviss – It's my turn. Amy, do you have any 7s?_

_Amy – Umm…yeah. (Hands Alviss a 7 and he puts cards down)_

_Amy – Snow, do you have 5s?_

_Snow – I'm sorry…Go Fish._

_Amy – WHAT?! (Turns red. Grabs a card from the pile and then takes off her sweater.)_

_Nanashi – WOOT!_

_Amy – You perv!! (Whacks Nanashi in the head with her humongous frying pan)_

_Game goes on for awhile, resulting in:_

_Dorothy – No articles of clothing off at all_

_Alviss – same as Dorothy_

_Snow – Jacket, hair bow, and shoes off_

_Ginta – stripped down to his boxers_

_Jack – same as Ginta_

_Amy – sweater and shirt off, showing her camisole_

_Nanashi – Headband, scarf and shirt off_

_: End Video_

Ginta – I'm…gonna…kill you…

Cookie – I love you too, Ginta!! Now, back to the story!!

-----------------------------

Tom, Amy, Ginta and Babbo had finally reached the end of the cave. During the way, they had talked a lot, and Amy and Tom became particularly good friends. How odd they had become friends in such a short amount of time…huh? But now, as they saw what was at the end, they were…shocked. "Wha-…what's…this!?" Ginta was particularly amazed with what he saw.

It was a sailing ship with large black sails. "A ghost ship?" Ginta was surprised that a ship would be down there at all. Suddenly, Amy stood in front of Tom and Ginta stuck his hand out in front of Tom as well. "Stand back, Tom." Amy commanded. Poor Tom was confused as to why they were suddenly asking him to do so. Ginta began to explain. "Magic Power. This means—one of the Chess Pieces!" Sure enough, a boy was on the ship and leering down at them. He had spiky purple hair and blood-thirsty eyes. He also had a shield with a cross on it hanging down his left ear. "Ginta…this guy's a Bishop…be careful." Amy murmured quietly to Ginta. He nodded in agreement. The boy then spoke in an almighty tone. "Only two? And it's a brat and a girl. Who're you? I'm Giromu of the Chess Pieces. Can I assume you're prepared to die?" He smiled, only it was the worst smile Amy had ever seen. Babbo, unfortunately, was…

"THEY'RE NOT ALONE!! LOOK AGAIN, INSOLENT WRETCH!! I'M HERE!!"

…um…angry. Giromu blinked once before smiling that horrible smile of his again. "Babbo…so you are the one! The guy Peta was talking about! The one that uses Phantom's ÄRM!" Giromu then screeched in a sadistic tone, "YOU'RE A HUNDRED YEARS TOO EARLY, BRAT! TRASH LIKE YOU ISN'T FIT FOR USING SUCH A THING!" He then commanded, "Get your butt over here. You'll make a good gift for Phantom." As soon as he finished, Amy took her fingers out of her ears. "Are you done yet?" Tom, Giromu, and Ginta: O.O; …Apparently, Amy isn't good at listening to the bad guy's speeches. Ginta coughed and regained his composure.

"You say your name's Giromu, huh. Were you the one who did that to Vestory?" Ginta was back in seriousness mode. Giromu did that horrible grin again as he answered willingly, "Oruko did most of the damage. I was in charge of killing. I especially enjoyed doing women." Amy twitched but Giromu didn't notice this and walked away from the edge of the ship and gestured to the ship. "Really, I wanted to kill a bit more, but we still needed to collect the ÄRMs down here. But there's nothing like that on this ship…" He glanced at Ginta. "Hey, did you find any ÄRMs? You're a man, so I'll let you off with only half-killing you." "**SEXIST PIG**!!!" His speech was cut off by a giant frying pan that came flying towards his face…which hit him in the ear, seeing as Giromu managed to dodge at the last second. He smirked and grabbed the frying pan and waved it at the livid Amy. "What are you gonna do no—"The frying pan teleported out of his hand and back into Amy's. Needless to say, everyone in the vicinity was confused. "Did I forget to mention that this is an ÄRM?" Amy wheedled innocently. Her features then hardened. "Ginta, now!" Ginta had snuck onto the ship while Giromu was preoccupied with Amy. He aimed a punch at Giromu's face, but the Chess Piece then leaped backwards and activated his ÄRM.

"Ice Doors!"

Pieces of ice then shot out of his hand and came towards Ginta. As Ginta dodged the ice, Amy turned to Tom, who was hiding behind a large rock. "Tom, it's dangerous. You really shouldn't be here if you can't defend yourself." Amy felt bad for saying this, but it was the truth. His expression deflated a bit but then he brightened and said, "But, I want to see Ginta kick that Chess Piece's arse!" Amy: O.o "Umm…ok…you can stay, just don't come out from behind that rock." He saluted her and went back to hiding. Amy then resumed her watching of the battle. Ginta had jumped into the air and then came down hard on Giromu's head, who only barely dodged the blow from Babbo Version 1: Hammer Arm. Amy couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw Giromu form a claw made from ice and begin to slash Ginta with it.

_Ginta's doing really well! He has as much Magic Power as a Bishop…and as much as me…when I'm suppressing my powers._

Amy then saw Ginta pause from attacking Giromu and look around curiously. He then Giromu something that made him laugh at Ginta. Giromu raised his arms above his head and formed a giant ice ball that was more like an ice boulder. Amy panicked when she saw Ginta looking fearfully at the ghosts around him. He then looked at Babbo, and said something that sounded like, "We'll be using **that**." Suddenly, Amy felt his magic wavelength changing. _If I remember correctly, that wavelength means he's…summoning a giant black hole to devour us all. Wait…hold on a minute! That's not it! What was it again? _While she pondered this, she missed Giromu's fearful expression that turned back into cockiness and then she finally gave up on it as Giromu chucked the now massive ice boulder at Ginta. "GINTA!!" Amy abandoned all thoughts of studies as she watched the boulder come towards Ginta. He didn't seem perturbed as he called out **that**.

"Version 3! Come out, **Gargoyle**!"

A very large shadow appeared where Ginta was and when it spread out its wings and roared. It was a very large orange dragon looking thing whose lower body was drill-like and it had a golden ring in its mouth. Its arms were muscular and its wings were broad. Amy's thoughts were in a jumble, but could be clearly defined as this: _What in the name of Athena is that?! It's ginormous! It's…a guardian! Oh yeah, that was what the wavelength was for!_ She then saw Gargoyle stretch out its arms and smash the ice boulder with one blow. The magic emanating from Gargoyle was enormous and Amy couldn't believe one thing. _I can't believe that's Babbo!_ Let's just say, Amy's not always the sharpest tool in the shed. Amy looked back to see Tom's expression, and it was one of…praise? She frowned in confusion. _What could he be praising Ginta for? Unless it was on how cool Gargoyle was…_She shrugged and turned back to watch the fight. She saw Gargoyle advance towards Giromu and she saw the Bishop was…well…freaking out. _Serves him right, the little sexist pig!_ Amy had no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who insulted her gender. She smirked as she saw Giromu plead for his pathetic life and Ginta refused to listen as he sent Giromu flying with a backhand slap. She cheered, "Woot, go Ginta!", as Giromu flew into the water. She grabbed a Transport ÄRM of hers and threw it into the air.

"Transport ÄRM, Hover Platform!"

(AN: If you imagine the flying machines that the King and his men used in 'Howl's Moving Castle', then that's what it looks like.)

She jumped into the chair and the Hover Platform lifted into the air and she flew over to the ship, where Ginta still had Gargoyle out…"Ginta, you idiot! Call back Gargoyle! You won the fight!" He stared at Amy and grinned. "Amy…THAT THING IS COOL! What is it?!" Amy sweatdropped, and yelled back, "Don't change the subject! Tell me why you still have Gargoyle out!" He then pointed at the ghosts floating nearby. "They want me to let them out here! They'll give me an ÄRM if I help them!" Amy smacked her forehead. _And he believed them? What if they were lying?_ She then shuddered and grabbed the handle of the chair she was sitting in as she heard a faint voice coming from where Tom was…_Tom!!_ She swiveled around and didn't see anybody except Tom, who had this smirk on his face and seemed to be talking into an ÄRM much like the ones the Cross Guard used. His sweet expression was gone and the ache on Amy's back was back as well. He then ceased talking and turned to watch Ginta again. When he turned around, Amy quickly resumed staring at Ginta and forcibly erased any suspicions she had about Tom. Ginta had Gargoyle pounding the wall, but the wall was a lot stronger than it looked. Ginta was breathing heavily from exhaustion and then said something that sounded a lot like, "No way around **it**, then." And then he flicked his fingers outward and said, "Release it!"

Gargoyle spat out the ring it was carrying in its mouth and it floated in-between its hands as it began concentrating Magic Power at the center of the ring. She peeked back a bit and saw Tom with this abnormally fascinated and excited expression on his face. She turned around when she heard the crackle of magic and saw a beam of power fire out of the ring that Gargoyle was holding. It blasted the wall in no time flat and Amy could vaguely imagine an excited look on Tom's face. _Why in the world is Tom acting so…odd? Ugh, it's probably just my imagination…_The hole was large enough for a ship to get through, and Ginta looked proud of his handiwork. Amy landed on the ship and recalled her ÄRM as she rushed over to Ginta. "That's enough, Babbo!" Gargoyle shrunk back to his normal self and Amy stared at him rather warily. Ginta then plopped down on the ground and Amy rushed over to him while Babbo screamed, "GINTA!!" Ginta gave a weary grin as he huffed, "Mission…complete! I'm pooped." Amy smiled as Babbo began berating Ginta (You stupid retarded little fool! You used too much power!!) And Ginta childishly stuck his fingers in his ears and ignored him (Aaaah. Aaaaaaaah. I'm not listening.) Suddenly, this bright light appeared and this beautiful young woman with long flowing hair dressed in sailor's garb appeared in front of them. (AN: The following font is to emphasize her far-off ghostly sounding voice.)

_Thank you…_

She looked gratefully down at Ginta, Babbo, and Amy. _We who have been trapped here…can return to the sea…and then go on to Heaven._ Ginta laughed weakly and smiled at the woman. "Don't mention it.! I'm…" And then, Ginta gracelessly toppled over in a dead faint. Babbo and Amy rushed over to Ginta worriedly calling his name. The lady didn't seem fazed by this sudden action, as she continued. _As a token of thanks…we present you with an ÄRM in hopes that it will become your strength…_She then handed the ÄRM to Amy, who in turn tucked it into Ginta's outstretched hand and closed it gently. She felt a pang of happiness as the ghosts began coming onto the ship and assuming form. She grabbed Ginta and called forth her Hover Platform to take him to the shore of the underground lake and loaded him onto it and flew back to the shore. When they got back there, Amy looked curiously behind the large rock from earlier. _Tom's gone…maybe he went back into Vestory…I hope he didn't run into that other Chess that the sexist pig was talking about…_Her eyes drooped a bit and she curled up for a little nap just as voices drew closer to them…

------------------------

Time Skip:

Amy's eyes shot wide open and she stood up quickly when she felt people staring at her. Dorothy and Nanashi grinned at Amy in relief. "You're awake! Thank goodness! The way you slept, I thought you were—""Finish that sentence and you'll meet the same fate." Amy snarled at Dorothy, because here's an important lesson…Amy does not like to be waken up from a peaceful sleep. Nanashi and Dorothy suddenly turned their attention to Ginta, who was now blinking confusedly at the two people who they had separated from. "Ah ♥. He's awake!!" Dorothy was happy, that's for sure. Nanashi grinned in congratulations. "Great!! Looks like you took care of one of the Chess, too, Ginta!" Ginta sat up and Dorothy leaned close to him and smiled. "Hold still and I'll give you CPR, Gintan!" Ginta stared at the crazy witch and quickly refused. Nanashi suddenly held his hand over his eyes and began to talk in serious tone. "Oh my God…I can't feel my eyes…I'm going to need CPR." Amy looked strangely at Nanashi and asked, "What does CPR have to do with your eyes?" Dorothy was very unsympathetic to his problem as she bluntly said, "Dumbass." Ginta then looked around confusingly. "Where…are we?" Nanashi got over his sulk as he answered Ginta's question. "The cave entrance, man! You two got this far by yourself!" Ginta then stared at his hand and at what Amy had stuffed into it.

"A Magic Stone…and a key?" Babbo and Amy nodded. "Those ghosts said it was a gift for you and left it behind." Amy told Ginta. Ginta then turned to Dorothy. "Hey, Dorothy. You know what this key is?" Dorothy shook her head. "I think it's an ÄRM…but I'm not sure. Amy and I looked at it a bit earlier…but it couldn't be invoked. It's probably a Special…HEY!" Ginta had fallen asleep and was now snoring peacefully. Amy whispered, "He didn't look like the type who would pay attention to a lecture…" But, she had to grin anyway. Nanashi scooped Ginta onto his back and together they all walked out into the village. As Snow, Ed, and Jack rushed forward to greet them, Nanashi pointed at Ginta snoozing on his back. The villagers stared at the group in amazement. "I don't believe it. Those kids…fought the Chess…and won!" Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to the water's surface with a shout of, "Hey…that's a ship…?" The ghostly lady was floating in front of the ship and leading the way and her smile was so happy. _Thank you…my little hero…!_ To this, Ginta only snored in reply.

--------------------------------

Time Skip:

The villagers had decided to hold a party in honor of 'MÄR' (and Amy since she wasn't part of the group) and everyone was having a great time and there were many refreshments and food. Babbo was gulping down a mug of rum and when he finished he belted out, "Buhah! More rum!" He then turned to Ginta with the ever-present drunkard blush on his face. "You drink, too, Ginta! Listening? A true gentleman knows how to hold his liquor…huh? Why're there three of you?" Ginta wasn't interested in Babbo's gentleman speeches and grouchily told him to go away. Amy blinked and then stared at the large bonfire at the center of it all.

She then turned to listen to the man who was in the Cross Guard. "I haven't seen smiles like this for quite a while. For people like us who were always thinking death was waiting…we've regained the courage to live! And…look at all these crops!" The attention was now turned over to Jack. "All thanks to Jack-san!" Jack waved his hand in an embarrassed manner. "Wahaha! It's no big deal!" Ginta and Amy then pointed out, "I'd say it was a big deal, Jack. Isn't that a little too big of deal?" They gestured to a house that was overrun by vines and plants. Jack admitted a little sheepishly, "Ma-, maybe! It kinda surprised me too!" He then gestured to his Battle Scoop charm. "My Magic Power was raised, plus I got this Earth Nature Stone from Dorothy-neesan! It seems that I've really improved!" Amy smiled at Jack and then grabbed a mug with water and took a sip…only for her expression to slacken and her face to take this dazed look. No one noticed as another villager pointed out, "And…the one who healed all of us." Everyone looked at Snow, who was busy drinking her mug of…who knows what. "We all owe Snow-san a lot!" Snow finished drinking and exhaled softly.

"BRING ME MORE JUICE!!!"

Apparently, Snow had drunk a mug of alcohol and was now in 'Babbo-ization' mode. Ed was furious as he demanded to know who had given his Hime-sama alcohol. No one was expecting what happened next…

"WHY ARE THERE COWS HERE?!"

Amy had accidentally grabbed a mug of water spiked with alcohol and was now drunk as well. "HEY SNOW! LET'S SING!!!" Snow nodded vigorously and broke out into a chorus of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall". The villagers turned their attention to Nanashi (who was downing a mug of beer and holding two girls at the same time), Dorothy who was calmly eating, and Ginta who looked particularly excited. "…And then there's the three of you who went in and defeated the Chess! Now the people they killed can rest in peace!" Dorothy muttered, "Not like I did anything…" which went unnoticed by everyone, especially the drunken Amy and Snow, who were now at 49 bottles on the Wall. A woman and a man began to praise them as well. "Especially Ginta-san! You gave us all courage!" The man nodded in agreement with the woman who had spoken. "To think a child would be able to fight the Chess!" The Cross Guard held his arm up triumphantly. "Us adults can't let you put us to shame anymore! We'll rebuild Vestory. We'll show all of you what we can do!!" Ginta scratched his nose in a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure. He then began talking to Dorothy about having a good time, and she said that she was happy he got that ÄRM in the cave…and Ginta freaked out. He then asked her why she left her country and she got this really sad look on her face.

"To search for ÄRMs…and…to search for a certain women. And kill her."

Ginta was shocked and he stood completely still as he regarded the seriousness of her words. He then began scratching his forehead stupidly. "**What's that mean?**" He then laughed nervously, "You…you're not going to call it a joke?" She stared at the fire in a defeated sort of way. He then stepped a bit closer to ask her something…

"SNOW-CHAN AND AMY-CHAN KICK!!"

Snow and Amy drop-kicked Ginta in the head at the exact same time, a result of their drunkenness. He jumped and screeched, "What the heck, aho-hime and baka Amy?!" They then waved their arms at him in an exaggerated manner. They then began talking in synchronization to answer his question. (AN: S means Snow and A means Amy)

S – Because…

A – Ginta's just talking to Dorothy…

S and A – AND WE'RE BORED!!!

Ed was weeping over how happy he was to finally see an energetic Princess Snow again and how she had been holding back for so long. Jack stared at Ed in disbelief as he asked, "Oi oi, was she really that kind of character?!" Nanashi laughed heartily at the scene and then his expression grew grim. "Ginta! Look at the moon!" Said blond then looked up at the moon to see it was as polished and clear as a mirror. Even Snow and Amy had snapped out of their drunken stupor long enough to stare up at the moon as well. The villagers were pointing up at it and yelling about how much of a mirror it looked like. Suddenly, a figure with a pointy hat appeared on the polished surface and bowed slightly and began to speak.

"All beings of Mär-Heaven…we, the Chess Pieces, embrace all hostility and call all who wish to rebel…! _**You are all invited to the beginning of the War Game!!**_"

Everyone began to murmur about the one from 6 years ago, and was glaring at the mirrored moon. Amy grit her teeth, all drunkenness gone from her system. _They're taunting us! _The figure continued, unaware of all mutterings and such.

"The location will be Reginrave Castle in central Mär-Heaven! We have taken control of this castle to allow for a suitable meeting place!"

The Chess's face was staring at the people down below him, with an expression of malice.

"The grudge made 6 years ago…we have yet to forget it!! If you fail to gather before us, all of Mär-Heaven will be burned to the ground!! I'm looking forward to seeing all of you there!! Especially…Phantom's ÄRM who has betrayed the Chess, Babbo! And the boy who wields him! The time is noon, day after tomorrow! We're waiting!"

As he laughed, the moon turned back to its normal, crater-faced self. Snow and Amy's 'condition' had worn off and they were back to normal. "Enough fooling around. Let's go, Ginta, to Reginrave!" Jack was waving his arms fearfully. "Right! To keep any other places from being destroyed like Vestory…is what I wanna say. I'm just a country farmer…can I do this?" Ed was looking seriously at all members of MÄR and others (mainly Amy and Nanashi). "With the Cross Guard currently weakened, we can't expect many of them to come to Reginrave…we have no choice but to go!" Nanashi glanced over at Ed with a cocky glaze in his eyes. "We don't need any of the Cross Guard. Especially with me there!" Dorothy agreed, even though her mind seemed elsewhere. "It feels kinda like…we can't really avoid it, huh?" Amy smiled happily. "It looks like I'm going to be sticking with you crazy people a bit longer." Suddenly, the villagers crowded around them. "Ginta-san!" The villagers were technically talking to Ginta, but it was really directed to all of them.

"We'll use all the power we have to rebuild the village! Can we entrust it to you!? **The Fate of this world!**"

They then began to speak sadly. "We hate to say it…but we don't have the strength. But if there really is someone who with the power to fight the Chess…!" The villagers then seemed to regain their courage just by speaking. "Please be the courage and hope of Mär-Heaven!! Can we trust the War Game to you?!" Then, a woman began to speak timidly. "And when you win…come back here…please visit the rebuilt Vestory." Ginta was silent for a moment before giving a victory-assured smile and saying, "Leave it to us!" With that, Amy turned away from the group and looked towards the darkness, a wind ruffling her straight brown hair. _I just hope this War Game doesn't end in tragedy…like the last one._

Well, I bet most of you are curious as to who Amy really is and what her past is like…well, I'm not gonna tell ya! You're going to have to wait until later on in the story! Now, please review and wait patiently for the next chapter! Thankee-sankee!

----------------------

Aho-hime – stupid princess

Baka – idiot, fool

-san – Mr., Mrs., Ms

-neesan – big sister

-chan – used primarily for girls and cute things


	9. Fights and Reunions!

Well, only one more until I have 10 whole chapters! I really appreciate all of your reviews and your patience!

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Sheri-chan: I'm glad you waited so long for this story! And I'm glad for everyone else!!

Phantom'sAngel89: Well, it looks like we have another candidate in the Cat Contest! Next chapter will be when I announce the winner!

MarHeavenAngel: YAYS! I have big plans for Tom in the upcoming chapters, but…they're a secret!

xChibiTenshix: Well, I invented Strip Go-Fish solely for this story…I don't think it really exists, but anyone is welcome to use it for whatever purpose they want, I don't really care. Iced Earth does sound a bit more accurate than Iced Doors…I guess I didn't find that well of a translation, but it's easier than buying the mangas…it would cost too much money. Well, don't think you have seen the last of drunk Amy and Snow! That's all I'm saying!

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Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

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Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

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Disclaimer: Cookie – There are now **2** votes per **2** people!

Cast – And…who would those two people be? _Not me, not me, not me…_

Cookie – Stop chanting in your minds! The two people are…Phantom and Alviss!

(Spotlight shows these two characters)

Alviss – YOU! (Points at Phantom)

Cookie – ME!

Phantom - …what if I don't want to be a cat?

Cookie – But…_everybody wants to be a cat…_

Ginta – STOP SINGING!

Cookie – Sorry! I don't own these wimpy people scared of being turned into cats. I only own Amy who seems to have disappeared…HEY! STOP RUNNING AWAY!

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_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

----------------------------

More things will happen, but with Amy's unpredictable nature, most of them will probably be unexpected…or expected. ENJOY!!! Also…I'M SOOOOOO SORRY THAT I TOOK A LONG TIME TO UPDATE!!!

* * *

Chapter 9: Fights and Reunions!

_Recap:_

"_All beings of Mär-Heaven…we, the Chess Pieces, embrace all hostility and call all who wish to rebel…! __**You are all invited to the beginning of the War Game!!**__"_

"_The location will be Reginrave Castle in central Mär-Heaven! We have taken control of this castle to allow for a suitable meeting place!"_

_I just hope this War Game doesn't end in tragedy…like the last one._

_: End Recap_

---------------------------

Time Skip to 2 days later:

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we—"

"NO!!!"

Team MÄR was getting quickly frustrated with Amy and along the way they learned a lesson. Always make sure Amy is not bored…or else. They were walking down the road towards Reginrave (after using Nanashi's Andarta) and were about 15 minutes away. (AN: I'm changing some details for this fic…so I'm sorry to all you MÄR gurus.) Amy was tired of just walking and staring at the scenery and was looking for something else to do. Even the kind and gentle Snow's patience was beginning to wear thin. **That's **how annoyed everybody was getting. Yup…Amy was so bored, but she wouldn't dare—"YO! AUTHOR PERSON!!! ARE WE THERE YET!?!" …interrupt the author. Maybe a time skip would just be in everybody's best interest--

"YES!!! PLEASE HAVE MERCY!!"

OK! Jeez…I'm getting on with it! Now…STOP INTERRUPTING ME!!

-----------------------------

Time Skip:

(Thank Goodness!)

As they approached the castle, Amy could distinctly hear conversations going on within the castle. She could hear 'Alan' and 'is he coming?' and stuff like that. She cupped her hand to her ear to catch the conversations, which required absolute silence—

"DID WE MAKE IT IN TIME?! UYAHHHH! WHAT A HUGE CASTLE!!!"

Amy reaaaaaaally felt like squeezing Ginta's miserable life away as they reached the gate. Ginta was being as enthusiastic as a child at Christmas time. He had this big, dopey grin on his face and his eyes were sparkling with excitement and wonder, and it was impossible to stay blood-thirsty at him for too long (if you were his friend). Amy grinned just as goofily as him and scratched the back of her head. "Well, it IS pretty big…" Snow smiled happily and exclaimed, "Looks like we made it!" Nanashi crossed his arms above his head and his mouth adopted a cheeky look. "I snooped around here before, so it was in the range of the Andarta!" Ed stared at Nanashi and muttered something like, "You've been everywhere, haven't you?" Dorothy had her hands on her hips and was demanding to know where the Chess were…and then Jack screamed and pointed forward. Naturally, MÄR (and Amy) turned to see who or what Jack was pointing at. It was a teenaged boy with spiky bluish-black hair wearing black pants, sneakers, a long-sleeved shirt with zippers, and his face had this questioning scowl, blue eyes, and two triangles underneath his left eye…

"Alviss!"

Amy waved to him with that happy, goofy grin she stole from Ginta. "It's been a really long time…hasn't it?" Ginta peaced Alviss and grinned at him as well. Alviss looked a bit surprised but nodded and greeted them back. Jack had turned around and refused to face Alviss and all around, Amy could hear these whispers about the group and what they were doing there…

"YOU WANNA COME AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE?!!"

Amy had heard this comment about '2 little girls' (meaning Snow and the vertically-challenged 15 year old Amy) and went nuts. "LEMME GO! I'M GONNA KNOCK HIS HEAD IN AND MAYBE HE'LL GET SMARTER!!!" Jack and Ginta were currently restraining Amy from going to bash in the head of a poor Cross Guard with her Frying Pan ÄRM (I wonder who made an ÄRM like that…), who was now cowering in fear from the 'Violent Demonic Banshee'. (AN: Cyber cookies to anybody who can guess where this is from and who originally said it!) Alviss stared at Amy after briefly talking with a gray-haired man and was beginning to move forward to help Jack and Ginta out. Suddenly, a bell tolled. Amy stopped squirming and recalled her ÄRM, murmuring, "It's finally noon…" Jack and Ginta let her go in relief and began to massage their aching muscles. A figure stepped out onto a balcony above them.

It was a woman.

More specifically, it was a very beautiful lady. She had long black hair and a pale yellow strapless dress with a bow on the back. The bow ribbons were swishing gently in the wind while her hair remained stationary. She had a necklace and a matching tiara on…which made Amy suspect that she might be their ruler. She then began to speak in a gentle, but strong voice. "Everyone, welcome to Reginrave. You have my heart-felt gratitude for coming." The men below suddenly began to cheer loudly. "HIME!!!" Ginta looked puzzled and asked a nearby man about that. "That's…the Princess of Reginrave…" Ginta looked puzzled, but then stared up at the Princess. Her expression turned dull and rather lifeless. "Now, the War Game will begin. But before that…"

"In order to allow only appropriate participants, a test will be held."

Amy frowned a bit. _It sounds like she's reading a script that she just got and really doesn't like…_"All participants please proceed to the central pedestal…" A table suddenly appeared in the middle of the courtyard with a bunch of red stones on top of it. "And select a Magic Stone." Everybody went forward and grabbed a Magic Stone. Amy examined hers. _It's bigger than a normal Magic Stone…but what's so special about it?_ Ed laughed nervously, "It, it's ok if I don't take one, right?" Ginta tossed his Magic Stone into the air and caught it easily. "It's fine! Cause when you're like that, you don't have any magic, right?" Amy suddenly saw the Princess's expression grow sad. She then hesitantly said:

"Commence…the test."

Suddenly, the Magic Stones flashed and everyone vanished from Reginrave Castle courtyard.

Everybody…except Amy, that is.

"Wha…YOU STUPID ROCK! WORK ALREADY!" Amy then proceeded to knock on the Magic Stone's surface with her knuckles sharply. She rapped a little harder and then started banging her fist on it. Suddenly, she heard this ticking sound. "Where's that coming from—"She suddenly put the Magic Stone up to her ear. The ticking was very loud now. _OMG! THE MAGIC STONE IS GONNA EXPLODE!!!_

Amy then proceeded what normal people know as a 'mental breakdown'. She was so busy freaking out; she barely noticed when Ginta, Alviss, Dorothy, Nanashi, Snow, and Jack came back 10 minutes later. "Amy, you're done already?" Jack had this impressed look on his face that quickly faded when Amy snapped her attention over to him. "N-no, I-I haven't been taken away yet…DON'T EXPLODE ON ME, PLEASE!!!" Ginta suddenly looked at Alviss, whose eyes were widened as he looked frantically around the field. "None of the Cross Guard have come back…not even Gaira-san!" Amy twitched and momentarily forgot about the Stone she was holding. "You mean…Gaira-san, Danna-san and Alan-san's partner?" Alviss nodded briefly and resumed his scoping of the field. Suddenly, bright flashes of light began to materialize around them. Ginta grinned, "Here they come!" Alviss smiled in obvious relief. "Ah. Yeah…" Suddenly, Alviss and everybody else's eyes widened at what they saw.

What they saw was the corpses of the Cross Guard.

Amy brought her hand to her mouth as she saw one particular Cross Guard. _It's the guy that I frightened earlier…I should have been nicer to him…_Suddenly, she heard a snicker and she whirled around. A purplish lizard wearing a pointy hat and a robe stepped forward. "Fufuh…they all died. The Cross Guard this time around is rather poor. Perhaps all of the strong ones died at the last game. All that's left is trash lower than Pawns—"He suddenly cut off and began to sweat nervously. Maybe it was because of the rather sharp sword being pointed at his neck. Or maybe it was because of the murderous glare that the sword owner was giving him. Three guesses who it was. Amy stared at his quivering little body. "If you say another word…I'll kill you and toss your carcass to the wild beasts."

The lizard nodded frantically and Amy stepped back and picked up her Magic Stone again. Alviss was also glaring at the lizard and demanded to know, "Where's Gaira-san?! He would never lose to a Pawn!!" The lizard (who had regained a bit of his courage) chuckled again. "Who said that there would only be Pawns?" A lithe figure suddenly jumped out, with spiky green hair, a long robe, and a skull mask on. The lizard continued, "There was one Magic Stone labeled 'Instant Failure'. There was one man with supremely poor luck. Perhaps that was him." The person that had appeared stared at all the remaining contestants. Suddenly, there was a faint voice and Alviss screamed, "Gaira-san!!" Amy turned to see the gray-haired man kneeling and clutching his bleeding body. He panted something about being careless and Snow rushed over towards him and began to heal him. The lizard smiled a bit, "As expected from the 3rd man, Gaira. He may have lost, but he survived a fight with Chimera. I'm impressed. Now…"

_**10 seconds left.**_

"AUGH!" Amy then proceeded to throw her Magic Stone as far away from her as possible. Unfortunately, the Magic Stone chose that moment to became stuck to her hand and wouldn't leave. She then shook her hand frantically as the countdown came to a close.

_**5…4…3…2…1.**_

Amy clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the after-life.

POOF!

She opened an eye to see confetti streaming all over the place. She saw a note floating down and grabbed it and began to read.

_Dear whoever you are,_

_You are a very lucky person! This Magic Stone was a fake and you automatically proceed to the next round! Good luck meeting your inevitable death!_

_Love, the Chess Pieces_

"Well, you certainly are very lucky. I mean, you get off without having to fight—"

"YOU TEME!!!"

The lizard was now flailing his arms around trying to pry the crazy lady off of his neck without much success. "I NEARLY DIED OF A FRIGGIN' HEART ATTACK AND I WAS THINKING I WAS GOING TO EXPLODE AND YOU JUST SAY I'M LUCKY?!! GIVE ME 1 GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T END YOUR STUPID EXISTANCE HERE!!!" Alviss then grabbed the crazy Amy, wrenched her hands off of Lizard (AN: I'll be able to write his name later…), and hoisted her over his shoulder, much to the protest of an angry Bell. Lizard coughed and straightened up rather nervously. "Well…um…those who passed are these seven!" Everyone merely stared at him while Babbo seethed, "What about me?!" Amy questioned threateningly from atop Alviss's shoulder, "What's your name, pathetic excuse for a lizard?" He trembled before muttering, "I-it's P-pozun." Pozun then scooched nervously back towards Chimera's side.

His courage restored, he continued. "It's rather…disappointing. Weren't there over 30 from the Cross Guard last time? And all of them are women and children!" That last comment seemed to be muttered himself or Chimera. "I hardly think that this is enough to entertain Phantom…" "You sick twisted pigs!" Pozun gulped and turned to gaze fearfully at Amy, who was now burning with anger (and she was still on Alviss's shoulder, and Alviss probably wasn't going to put her down anytime soon.) Amy gritted out, "You think this is a game?! I have a newsflash for you and your teammates, Chimera!" She pointed at the Knight. "Mär-Heaven isn't enjoying it! I don't care that you might like killing and stealing, but calling it a game?! Well, let me tell you something: games require both sides to be having fun, and we sure as heck aren't having your sick, twisted fun!!! Tell that to your idiot-for-a-boss, Phantom!!" Everybody began to gape at Amy, because usually when she wasn't angry or drunk, she was rather quiet. But this was…well, new for them. She then smirked sadistically.

"And tell him: I'll 'entertain' him…and more!!"

Pozun gulped and then turned to look at Ginta. His vein was throbbing and he had this seriously-pissed smile. "Let's get this game started!" Pozun then resumed his eerie smile and tutted, "Now now, don't get ahead of yourself. Today was just the preliminaries. The true War Game will begin tomorrow. He and Chimera then teleported away, with his final words echoing eerily.

_For today…rest well, and be thankful that you are still alive…_

As soon as Pozun was gone, Alviss gently set Amy back down on her feet. She stared at the spot where he was a moment ago. She then turned to stare sympathetically at Jack, who was shivering and sweating nervously. "Just seven people…? We're the only ones in the War Game…to be honest, I'm scared Ginta!" Ginta was staring at where Pozun was as well, and when he looked up, he had this ferociously determined look in his eyes. Amy smiled slightly and patted Jack on his shoulder. "Don't worry…we'll be more than enough." _I hope…_

------------------------

Intermission

Cookie – What are you guys doing?

Cast – We are NEVER doing Strip Go-Fish again, thanks to you…

Cookie – _Darn…_well, I do hope you are prepared to get turned into cats…cause unless there are last minute voters, Phantom AND Alviss will be transmogrified into KITTIES!!

Phantom & Alviss – I'll never be ready…

Cookie – What was that?

Alviss – Um…I wanted to know…where you got the idea for the Frying Pan ÄRM!!

Cookie – Well, there's this really big pan in our cupboard that I can lift pretty easily…

Ginta – You mean you do have muscles?

Cookie - …what was that?

Ginta – I said—

(Amy covers his mouth)

Amy – It would be wise not to make her angry…from what I know; my temper was based off of hers.

Cookie – ONLY SLIGHLTY!!

Cast - …yeah…right…

Cookie – Well, I wanted to ask you all to review to tell me what you think about an idea I had for a fanfic! Here it is: I wanted to crossover Storm Hawks and MÄR together! Storm Hawks is a Cartoon Network show just like English MÄR…please review to tell me what you think about the idea!! Now, back to the story!

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Time Skip to later that night:

"Everyone…please rest here for the night." Princess Reginrave had taken Team MÄR (and Amy) to a lushly furbished room with seven beds lined in a row and a table at the end of the room. They circled the table as the Princess stepped into the room. Nanashi suddenly asked, "Say, you're the princess of this castle, right? Then why'd you give the opening address for the War Game?!" The Princess looked straight at Nanashi as she answered, "For my people. To put it simply, the lives of the men outside are very fragile…to protect them, I'm prepared to do anything." She then smiled and her eyes closed, as if she was trying her hardest to be brave. "Because I'm their princess." Snow smiled at Princess Reginrave and nodded in agreement. Alviss was leaning on the wall, away from everybody else, and he seemed to be thinking heavily. He then began staring at Ginta.

"Ginta…"

Ginta turned to see Alviss talking. "...can you prove yourself worthy of my trust?" Bell flitted nearby the moody teen as Ginta stared at him. "Answer me on the battlefield. I'll be watching…" Ginta then gave Alviss a cocky grin and a thumbs-up. Then, his expression turned to irritation as Bell whispered something into Ginta's ear. Dorothy was telling Jack how everyone would also be watching and he was sobbing about how scared he was, and Nanashi merely crossed his arms above his head and mewed, "It'll all work out." Snow and Ed smiled at each other. "Say, Ed. Have you noticed?" Snow chirped cheerfully. Ed nodded. "Yes Hime-sama!"

_Search out 8 youths._

_Those youths…_

_Will surely protect you, no, all of Mär-Heaven!_

Ed then began counting, "Ginta, Jack, Amy, Dorothy, Nanashi and Alviss! And then you add the other man inside of me and Babbo to them…8 people!! Surely, the prophecy will come true!" Amy smiled with newfound hope and stared out of the window. _I…want to make HER proud…_

* * *

Well, it's not as long as I would have liked to make it as an apology to all of you…but I really wanted to start on the next chapter…Thankee-sankee for waiting and reviewing!!

-----------------

-chan – Used primarily for girls and cute things

Hime-sama – Princess

Teme – umm…it means 'illegitimate child'…I'm sure most of you already know or are clever enough to figure it out…

-san - Mr, Mrs, or Ms


	10. The First Round and a kidnapping!

WOOT!!!! The big 'One O'! WHEEEEEE! I can't believe that this story still exists…well; I have all of my readers to thank for its survival! THANKEE-SANKEE!

-----------------------------------

xChibiTenshix: Well, Amy is the kind of person who knows when to be serious and when to be goofy, but she isn't afraid to let her emotions go free due to the influence of…I can't tell or it would spoil what I have in store. The 'are we there yet' question is annoying…but I ask it when my family takes car trips just to give myself some form of entertainment…and who knows…the Chess cheated and put a Magic Stone with Chimera, so they might have had one that was like an automatic advancement…

wingsofire: I'm very glad you like my story!! As might have been revealed, I am a procrastinator that will take every distraction…and smack herself for it later…

MarHeavenAngel: Well, you got your wish! Although, Phantom and Alviss don't seem very happy…

-----------------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

----------------------

Disclaimer: Cookie – Well, this is the day!

Ginta – What day?

Cookie – Well, besides the 16th of July, this is the day that Phantom and Alviss are transmogrified into KITTIES! Isn't that right—?

Alviss – I need to finish the plan for HER deat--…um…were you listening to that?

Cookie – WHAT ARE YOU MAKING PLANS FOR?!

(Phantom rushes onto the scene)

Phantom – Alviss, I got the funeral arrangements ready for the evil…um, hi?

Cookie – (twitches) You two…have exactly…1½ seconds to run!

Phantom and Alviss – RUN AWAY!

(They run and Cookie chases them)

Cookie – GET BACK HERE! SUICIDE ISN'T THE ANSWER!!

Phantom & Alviss – WHO SAID THAT WE WERE THINKING OF SUICIDE?!

Amy – Well, I can't say I'm not jealous of those two, because Cookie doesn't own MÄR or any of it's characters, except for…I think I'm gonna go curl up in my happy place now…

-------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

----------------------------

Well, Happy Belated 4th of July!! Except, where I live, it's been raining for a month and it's making me feel all…moody and emo-like. I'm not gonna start being an emo, but all this rain is very gloomy…well, on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 10: The first round and a kidnapping!!

_Recap: _

_Ed then began counting, "Ginta, Jack, Amy, Dorothy, Nanashi and Alviss! And then you add the other man inside of me and Babbo to them…8 people!! Surely, the prophecy will come true!" Amy smiled with newfound hope and stared out of the window. I…want to make HER proud…_

_: End Recap_

------------------------------

Time Skip to next morning:

Ironically, it was a bright sunny morning that most people would describe as 'perfect weather'. Yeah…perfect for homicidal maniacs to slaughter innocent competitors in a contest of blood and gore…well, anyhow…the 7 humans, 1 dog, and 1 magically-talking ÄRM made their way into Reginrave Courtyard, where the baka Pozun-teme (As Amy 'affectionately' called him) awaited. Said-lizard then waddled onto the scene from the shadows. "Did you all sleep well last night?" To this question, Amy grunted and resumed…sleeping. As Ginta and company had all come to realize, Amy was not a morning person and didn't wake up in the morning all the way without violence. Here, let me show you:

_Earlier this morning:_

"_Amy-chan, it's time to go!" Nanashi was patting Amy gently on the back. He was elected to wake her up after everyone else failed. Suddenly, a frying pan came flying out of no where and smacked poor Nanashi in the cranium. Amy then groggily said, "If you don't leave me alone, you will die a horrible, painful, slow, and bloody death…" She then flopped back onto her pillow and continued to doze. _(AN: I often threaten people that way…it's one of my quirks.)

_: End Morning Flashback_

The group had no choice but to have someone carry her down there. Therefore, they had Alviss carry the peacefully sleeping Amy on his back. In reply to Amy's grunt, Pozun then wheedled, "Then, I will proceed to explain the War Game rules." As he began explaining, Amy didn't bother making a return trip from Lala-land. She breathed evenly as she tried to block out: The idiotic-Ginta-who-didn't-understand-at-all, the baka-Pozun-teme-who-acted-like-a-know-it-all, and the disbelief of Nanashi. She then felt Alviss's ribcage move as he spoke. "It seems the rules are the same as last time. So then, who will we be choosing as our captain?" Pozun then asked who they would pick.

Amy stuck her hand into the air and murmured sleepily, "I nominate Ginta as captain…" Even when she was asleep, Amy could feel everybody's eyes swiveling towards…"M-…ME?!" Alviss then stated, "I would be more at ease with Alan-san as our captain, but currently, he's inside of a dog. Besides, you're from the same world as Danna-san." Amy then opened her eyes and saw a blurred Dorothy kiss a blurry Ginta on the cheek, and an irritated blurry Snow in the background. "It just means that we have to trust you, Gintan ♥." As Amy's vision cleared, she saw Ginta clench his fist in determination. Amy then proceeded to ruin the triumphant mood by muttering, "We're all doomed." Alviss then stared blankly at Ginta and agreed, "Granted, I still have many doubts. Like how you suck at fighting." Ginta then face-faulted and screamed at the two offending teens, "Then you two bakas do it!" Pozun then stated what every citizen in Mär-Heaven had been dreading.

"In that case…let the War Game…BEGIN!!"

At that last word, Princess Reginrave then appeared on the balcony and tossed down a pair of die. Pozun stared at the die as they clattered on the ground and then yelled, "4 people on each team and the battle will take place here on Reginrave Field!" Suddenly, a bright flash filled the vicinity and people stumbled back as a large slab of rock rumbled noisily out of the ground. When it finished, Pozun then waved his hand toward a corner of the field. "Come out, Chess's first team--!"

CRASH!

That, my friends, was the sound of a very large frying pan connecting with the skull of the announcer. (AN: Sorry for all this violence, but I really hate announcers. I especially hate the announcers in Yu Yu Hakusho. If you read my fics, you had better be prepared for announcer-bashing!) Everyone turned to stare at the temperamental teen that was now on the ground, in a threatening position. "YOU IDIOT, YOU WOKE ME UP!!" Pozun straightened himself up and scooted away from the crazy person before continuing. Three flashes of light appeared and then dissipated, revealing 3 out of 4 contestants.

"The Rodokin Family!"

The team consisted of what must have been a father and his two children (a brother and a sister). The father had a hulking frame and towered menacingly over his children and was bald with tattoos covering the top of his skull. A girl held a staff with a large ball attached and had on tight fitting clothes and two red streaks underneath her eyes. The boy had on a mask similar to the ones Pawns wear and had a loose fitting shirt with a high collar on. The mask had one eyehole and he was staring at Team MÄR in interest. He then scoffed, "Heh, it really is only 7." The girl agreed, "Like, it'll be too easy! Ne, Pops?" The father merely stared at MÄR and Amy could feel herself shrinking under pressure. Everyone seemed edgy, except for Nanashi (who merely said ok), Dorothy (who yawned), and Amy (who mentally added the Rodokin Family to her list of "Weak Looking Idiots") Amy then frowned. "Where's their 4th member?!" The boy scratched his head in embarrassment. "Well…she…um…"

"I'M RIGHT HERE!!!"

Amy looked at the top of the wall right by the castle to see a woman with fake dog ears stuck to the top of her wildly curly orange hair, wearing a closely cropped shirt and capris. Her outfit looked a bit like Jasmine's from Aladdin. She then back-flipped over to the Rodokin Family and presented Amy with a thumbs-up. "I'm the aunt of these two sweethearts!" She then grabbed the girl and the boy in a tight hug and they flailed around wildly to escape their aunt's clutches. The father then touched the lady's arm softly and shook his head. She pouted and released the two kids. Amy could've sworn that she saw the lady's ears droop…Amy then yelled, "Hurry up!" Pozun nodded fearfully and continued, "Please decide on your 4 people!" Team MÄR then proceeded to choose their 4 people using a noble art that went back generations…

"Only Rock and Paper! Throw!"

Rock, Paper, Scissors solves all your problems and rids you of anxiety, all for 3 easy payments of $45.67! Um…anyway…

The results of the game:

The winners: Amy, Alviss, Ginta, and Jack

The losers: Everybody else

Amy whooped excitedly, all traces of sleep gone and headed for the stage. The boy stepped forward and whistled, "Man, how do these losers get such fine looking girls?" A certain eyebrow twitched. "Excuse me? Do we look like trophies to you?" He didn't answer her question and continued, "My name's Leno. It would have been so boring with just guys around." Alviss, Ginta, and Jack wisely stepped away from the stage and let the raging Amy step onto the stage. She then looked up with a sly look in her eyes. "Well then, let me show you how interesting girls are…"

Team MÄR's POV:

Dorothy looked at Snow and vice versa. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Snow?" Snow nodded. They then nodded with this all-knowing look on their faces. "He's doomed." And then they began to watch the match again, much to the confusion of Nanashi.

Normal POV:

As Leno and Amy faced each other, Pozun then waved his hands. "First Match begin!" Leno leered, "I'll go easy on you because you're a girl. I'll make this end quickly." He then activated two ÄRMs, which then appeared on his arms as two giant scissor looking things. He then rushed towards Amy, who was oddly stationary, (AN: As in NOT MOVING! NOT THE PAPER!), and staring at the ground. As he was about to strike the defenseless Amy…metal clanged against metal as Amy whipped out…not her Frying Pan, as some of you might think. She pulled out a rather large sword that was taller than her and heavier than Alan. (AN: If you see Utawarerumono, then the sword I'm basing Amy's off of is Karura's sword.) They held positions for a bit before Leno's scissors cracked from the pressure. His eyes darted to look at his ÄRMs in shock.

That was a big mistake.

Quicker than a blink, Amy put away her sword and brought out her Almighty Frying Pan and proceeded to bash Leno on the head with it. "YOU SEXIST PERV!!! I OUGHTTA TIE YOU UP AND THROW YOU OFF OF A CLIFF!!" This incited the following expression from everyone in entire vicinity, opponents and audience members: O.O; Pozun quickly waved his arm and declared, "Winner! Amy from Team MÄR!" Amy stopped her bashing to glare at Pozun. "How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm not on MÄR, the Cross Guard, or Luberia!" She then walked off as the father came and got his unconscious son. She stared at Alviss's jacket that had the emblem for the Cross Guard stitched on the back. _I'm not in the Cross Guard…anymore…_

_Flashback:_

"_STOP KILLING MY FRIENDS!!" A tall figure wielding a smirking ÄRM turned to see an angry 10 year old glaring at him with tears at the corner of his eyes.__ The boy was breathing heavily and suddenly, another little boy of about 9 years pointed at the number 1 Knight angrily. "You horrible person! You can't just kill whoever you want to just because!" Phantom ignored the other boy and stared at the spiky-haired raven boy with malice in his eyes. "You have good eyes. He then pointed the tip of a hammer at the little boy's chest. _

"_For showing such courage, I will give you a present." _

_The spiky-haired little boy quivered slightly and the other little boy ran with a dagger in hand at Phantom. The Knight knocked him away without a thought and the boy landed next to the other boy's feet. The s__piky-haired one screamed, "ADRIAN!!" Suddenly, a burly, younger Alan ran towards Phantom. "STOP PHANTOM! ALVISS ISN'T IN THE WAR GAME!!" Phantom ignored Alan and continued, "This is proof that I'm fond of you. Receive it and meet me again." He then called out:_

"_Zombie Tattoo!"_

_A 10 year old Alviss's eyes widened as a red flame mark appeared on his chest before toppling over. Adrian quickly picked himself up and hugged Alviss protectively as he stared up at Phantom. The Knight lifted his hand up and looked maliciously at the two children. "When this tattoo completely encompasses his body, he'll become just like me…__**a living corpse.**__ Maybe…Alviss-kun and I can become friends." Adrian shook his head violently and clutched him closer as Phantom advanced…_

_: End Flashback_

Amy jolted as she heard, "Winner! Alviss of the Cross Guard!" She looked to see the goofy lady (Amy later found out her name was Karin) wobbling unsteadily off the stage. Alviss tapped the unsuspecting girl on the shoulder and she squeaked as she jumped into the air. He then patted her on the back gently. "Amy, it's just me. I just finished my match." Amy breathed in and out to even her furiously beating heart. She then straightened to look at Alviss. "Um…yeah…I saw! You did a really good job!"

_You moron, stop spending so much time in Lala-land and pay attention to the fights!_

Ginta pulled childishly on her sleeve and pointed at Alviss. "He dodged those fireballs the crazy lady shot at him and let them head for Jack and me!" Jack nodded energetically and added, "Didn't you see that?!" Amy scratched her head nervously and then…pointed off at the sky. "Look! A distraction!" Ginta, Jack, Nanashi and Babbo looked up at the sky, trying to see what Amy pointed out. Amy scratched her head mentally while musing, _Wow, I didn't expect them to fall for it…they must be stupider than they look._ She then heard a shout and turned to the opponents. She saw the girl pointing at her angrily while shouting, "What did you think you were doing, humiliating my little brother like that?!" Amy scratched her cheek before answering sheepishly, "Um…I was kind of blinded by my rage about his comments…I'm sorry…" The girl's finger drooped as she stared at Amy, and everyone else mimicked her. She clearly wasn't expecting Amy to apologize. Neither was she expecting what happened next.

Amy bowed respectfully towards the Rodokin Family. She then offered, "If you'd like, I could heal your brother and your aunt." The girl nodded her head dumbly before quickly adding, "After the match you…you know…" Amy nodded cheerfully and headed back towards her teammates. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm harshly and Amy winced as she saw the icy glare that accompanied it. "What were you doing?" Alviss hissed as his grip tightened. "Have you forgotten that speech you made yesterday or something?! They're the enemy!! They're guilty for taking the lives of so many innocent people!"

Amy glared back as she wrenched his fingers of off her arm. "I didn't forget my speech, but I hardly think that 2 Rooks and 2 Bishops would be responsible for every life taken so far. Also, in case you can't you that God-given gift called eyes, they happen to be a family! And, most families don't like to see other members in pain! Also, what I do is MY business, so just keep your nose out of my business and we'll all be happy!" Amy then stalked off deep into the audience, past the stares and the averted eyes. _Can't they see not everyone in the Chess is to blame? I bet that there are good people in the Chess…you just have to look hard to find them…those types of people are the only people in Chess that should be spared…_Amy turned to see the girl (or Pano as Pozun called her) and Jack facing off on the stage. She could hear the doubtful murmurs of everybody around her and she couldn't take it anymore.

"WILL Y'ALL JUST SHUT UP AND LET THE PEOPLE FIGHT?!"

That got everybody silent pretty quickly. They turned all of their attention towards the stage as Pano said something to Jack who shaking slightly. Pozun then called out with this slightly goofy look on his face, "Let the 2nd Match…BEGIN!!" Pano brandished her ÄRM and said something that Amy couldn't hear at her distance, but it made Jack angry. He called forth his Battle Scoop rather triumphantly. That triumph ended rather quickly as the Scoop landed on his toe. Amy then began scooting forward to catch glimpse of the match…and someone covered her mouth and dragged her backward. Surprised, she began to flail around trying to punch the kidnapper in the face but he evaded them easily. _The one time I do pay attention to something, it results in my kidnapping!! Ugh…I need cookies…_Amy heard screams coming from the ring and her eyes shot up to look, but suddenly, a piece of fabric covered her eyes and she felt woozy as she was hoisted over somebody's shoulder and they moved through what must have been a teleportation.

------------------------------

Time Skip to about 15 minutes later:

She was placed rather gently on the ground and her eye piece was removed. _Hmm…for a kidnapper, they certainly are courteous…_She looked up and saw long, brown-haired man with a headband around his eyes and a brown robe on. For some odd reason, he reminded Amy of Nanashi…"Are you Amy Connors?" Amy's eyes widened as she heard her last name. _How…how did he find out?! That was a secret!!_ Her mind ramblings were interrupted by the man's voice. "I've been ordered to give you this." He held a package. "You are not to open it until…" Amy prompted him to continue, "When?" The man blinked and continued. "You are to open it when you feel its right. That's what I've been told." Amy blinked confusingly before taking the package. She then noticed a small red orb…_Crud, not again…_That was her last thought before being teleported away…

Amy's eyes opened at the sound of, "Winner! Pano of the Chess Pieces!" She found herself back in the crowd, clutching her package to her heart. No one had noticed her disappearance or reappearance. She whipped out her Zipper ÄRM and stuffed the package inside of it. She looked around and noticed Jack being carried off in a stretcher and the men all clutching…their private areas protectively. _Ok…I'm just gonna take a wild guess and say Pano hit Jack in the…balls…_She shuddered and looked up at the stage._ Oh great…Ginta is up against that gorilla father of the Rodokin Family! WE'RE ALL GONNA GET KICKED OUT OF THE WAR GAME!! WHY?!_ Amy's lament was interrupted by a tug on her sleeve. Amy blinked and looked down.

It was a small little girl with big green eyes and long black hair tied into a braid. "Onee-san, can you please help me find my Aniki?" Amy was a big sucker for little children, so she knelt down and looked solemnly in her eyes. "Only if…" Amy broke out into a grin that would make the Cheshire cat proud. "You bring your brother and come play with me tomorrow after the match!!" The little girl smiled happily and tugged on Amy's hand. "My Aniki's name is Sasuke, but everyone calls him Chibi-suke, and I'm Meg!" Amy stood up and placed little Meg on her shoulders as they scanned the crowd. "Meg-chan, how old is your brother and what does he look like?" Meg glanced down at Amy from her above position. "Me and Aniki are twins! We're both 7, but he's older than me by 6 minutes, and he looks just like me!!" Amy's heart froze and curled up painfully. _That's…just like me and…Adrian…_"THERE HE IS! ANIKIIIII!" Amy glanced over at a little boy looking frantically for the source of that voice before spotting Amy and Meg.

Meg scrambled down Amy's shoulders and ran towards the little boy's outstretched arms. "ANIKI!" The little girl burst into tears as she hugged her brother tightly. Amy could feel tears coming into her eyes as she saw Sasuke's eyes well up as well. _They…bring back so many memories…_

_Amy Flashback Mode:_

"_ADRIAN!" A 7 year old Amy tearfully ran towards a 7 year old boy version of herself, complete with the brown hair and matching eyes. She pushed herself into his arms and his arms tightened around her protectively. "Amy, I was so scared that a monster got you or somethin'!" "I'm sorry I got lost! I won't do it again!" The twin children then proceeded to cry together._

_: End Amy Flashback Mode_

"Onee-san, what's…that?!" Amy saw Sasuke and Meg pointing fearfully at the stage and then turned sharply to see…

----------------------------

Intermission

Cookie – I am seriously turning into that lazy bum Shikamaru.

Snow – Isn't he from Naruto?

Cookie – Yes, but that's beside the point!

Cast – How is that beside the point?!

Cookie – Y'all are just delaying the inevitable!

Jack – I'm lost…

Ginta – That makes two of us…

Cookie – Especially these two!

(Points to Phantom and Alviss who are ties to chairs)

Alviss – We didn't say anything!!

Phantom – And we're not trying to kill ourselves, but rather y—

Cookie – Since you two are so in denial, I'm just gonna do this and get it over with.

Phantom and Alviss – NO WAIT!! DON'T—

POOF!!

(Smoke clears revealing kitty Phantom and kitty Alviss)

(Alviss kitty is dark blue while Phantom kitty is whitish-purple)

Cookie and Amy – OOOOOOOHHH! THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!

(Cookie picks up Phantom and Amy picks up Alviss and they hug them)

Jack – You do realize that they were people that were both mean?

Cookie – ALVISS ISN'T MEAN!! AND NEITHER IS PHANTOM!!

Cast - …

Cookie - …sometimes…anyways…YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS THAT THEY IS HOTTER THAN YOU'LL EVER BE, JACK!!

Jack – TT

Amy – Um…back to the story!

Phantom and Alviss – MEOW!!

------------------------------------------------

"Version 3…GARGOYLE!!"

Amy gasped as she stared up at the colossal dragon that towered over the father of the Rodokin family, who looked just as shocked as everybody else. Amy recalled the last time Ginta used it. _It was so powerful…and now…he just revealed it to the Chess!! _Her thoughts were broken by the gasps of the two small children. Amy smiled and gently patted them on the head. "It's all right. Gargoyle is a friend to all of MÄR." Sasuke and Meg stared up at it in wonder. Amy resumed her staring at the stage. Garon (the father) had declared that he would beat this as well and attempted to stop Gargoyle's punch with his bare fists. _He must use strength enhancing ÄRMs…not that they'll do any good…_The crowd was murmuring all around Amy and she listened to their awestruck murmurs. Ginta muttered something that sounded like, "So, you enjoy killing?" Then suddenly he screamed at Garon.

"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!"

Amy's eyes widened considerably as a cracking noise came from Garon's hands. He began nervously sweating as Gargoyle aimed…and punched him in the face. Gargoyle then grabbed Garon in his two hands and slammed him down. His body looked beat as he attempted to stand up and he coughed up blood. Ginta was about to aim another attack towards Garon when voices stopped him.

"STOP IT!!"

A certain aquamarine-haired, teary-eyed girl stood protectively in front of the man with her arms outstretched. Another girl, this time brown- haired and brown-eyed, stood in front of the two with her sword out and glared up at Gargoyle. Garon murmured Pano's name in disbelief. Pano then spoke. "Pops lost, but please don't kill him! He's our precious father!" Ginta stared at Pano before Gargoyle shrunk down and revealed a serious Babbo. Pozun waved his arms as he declared, "The First Battle has ended! Ginta wins and MÄR advances!" Amy put away her sword and smiled at Ginta as he danced around with Jack happily. She then walked over to the Rodokin Family, missing a slightly melancholy look on Ginta's face. She smiled at Pano gently and took out an ÄRM ring that had a cat face on it, and it was slightly cracked. She then threw it into the air and activated it.

"Guardian ÄRM, Tabitha!"

A POOF resounded as a slim figure appeared. It was a young girl with light green hair in a braid. Her hat was pointed on the ends and she had innocent light grayish-green eyes. Her outfit was brown and had a tail coming from the end of her short outfit. She actually looked human and not animalistic and she was pretty in a simple way. (AN: All right! Anyone who guesses who this is gets to borrow Alviss kitty and Phantom kitty for three days! Phantom & Alviss: MEOW?! (They're still cats.)) She then landed gracefully and smiled at the staring crowd. Ginta pointed childishly and yelled happily, "She's just like Merilo!" Tabitha then spoke: (AN: The way I write her words indicate how her speech is written where she's from…she's not yelling.)

"HELLO MISTRESS. HOW MAY I HELP YOU TODAY?"

Ginta's enthusiasm dulled once he heard her robotic sounding voice. Amy ignored the confused stares and smiled at Tabitha. "Hello Tabitha. I need you to help me heal this family. Will you please help me?" Tabitha nodded and walked over to Garon. She picked up his hand and asked, "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" He answered and a glow emitted from Tabitha. Suddenly, in a flash of light, Garon scratches were minor and would heal easily. Amy shrugged sheepishly. "Tabitha and I need to work on our synchronization. I never use her for fighting." Tabitha nodded as she began healing Leno. "SHE IS CORRECT. I MOSTLY HELP WITH CHORES AND SUCH." Jack then asked, "Tabitha, how come your voice is all funny-like?" Tabitha looked towards Jack and then turned to look at Amy. Amy sighed, "Well, she's…just a doll. She was made for something, and I don't know what, and when it didn't work, they threw her away. I found her and she became part of my team of ÄRMs." The two girls then finished healing the Rodokins and walked away.

---------------------------------

Time Skip to that night:

Amy thought of the irritating lizard and how he told them about the match-up for the next battle. _4 on 4 in the Desert Field…blech. I HATE hot weather!_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a conversation. "Ne, Amy!" Amy turned to see Nanashi looking childishly at her. "Whose hotter, me or Al-chan?" Amy twitched at the question while Alviss growled at Nanashi about his new nickname. Amy then noticed an irate pixie and an angry sorceress arguing. (AN: B means Bell while D means Dorothy. Snow is sleeping.)

B: MY ALVISS IS MUCH HOTTER THAN THAT STUPID THIEF!! (Nanashi face-faulted to the ground.)

D: If Gintan was in this contest, he'd win hands down! But for now, Nanashi is better than that emotionless droid! (Alviss twitched even more.)

B: I know! Amy's the tiebreaker!

The two girls then turned to Amy. They then demanded, "You choose who's hotter!" Nanashi perked up at this and even Alviss looked slightly interested. Amy began sweating. _OMG! I can't choose from these two! They're both really hot! I gotta escape!_ Suddenly, a cloud of dust was all that was left of Amy as she sped down the hallway trying to escape the two maniacs. She took a left and then hid behind a pillar while they ran (or in Bell's case, flew) in the direction they saw Amy run in. She sighed in relief as she watched them speed down the hallway. In her relief, she didn't notice a hand emerging from the darkness until it covered her mouth and pulled her into the darkness.

* * *

OMG!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY!!! I've just been sooooooooooooo distracted lately…I promise I'll make it up to you guys!! By the way, even though I already said this, anyone that guesses who Tabitha is and where she's from gets to borrow Alviss kitty and Phantom kitty for THREE DAYS!!

Phantom and Alviss: MEOOOOOOOOW! (NOOOOOOOO!)

Thankee-sankee for reading, reviewing and waiting! Also, take a look at my new story!! It's a Top Ten sort of thing.

-------------------------------

Gintan – Dorothy's nickname for Ginta, comprising of his name and –chan

Baka – idiot, fool

-teme - …illegitimate child

-san – Mr., Mrs. or Miss

Aniki – respectful term for your older brother

-chan – Used primarily for girls and cute things

Chibi-suke – Suke is a masculine ending in Japan and Chibi means small. Put them together and it roughly means "Little Man"

Onee-san - Big sister


	11. Whoa

Well, I have to say: I love all you guys! You wait so patiently for my updates (some more than others) and leave nice reviews. I really enjoy writing this story knowing that people like this story! Thankee-sankee!

----------------------------------

xChibiTenshix: I like Hiei too! He may be an emotionless teme sometimes, but he's still cool. As for the Frying Pan, it's a multi-tasker! Amy mainly uses it for bopping people on the head, but it can be used for cooking too!

wingsofire: I love kitties! They're my absolute favorite animal! They just so cute and cuddly and…I could keep going for a **long** time.

Phantom'sAngel89: Well, I can't tell you, because it would spoil the story. So, you'll just have to read the chapter. Also, Alviss and Phantom kitty are available for loans!!

MarHeavenAngel: I know I said that I hate cliffhangers too, but I really wanted to get Chapter 10 up on the site as soon as possible after such a long wait. I'll try not to do that anymore.

-------------------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

----------------------

Disclaimer: (Cookie is sitting in this very high chair with crossed legs. Phantom kitty is sitting on her lap with Cookie stroking him. She's wearing all black.)

Cookie – Yesssssss…Now that the pesky author is out of the way, I now own MÄR and all of its characters!! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Ginta – She's talking in her sleep again!

(Scene reveals Cookie snoring in a bed while clutching Phantom kitty who is desperately trying to get away)

Jack – She knows she doesn't own us or our ÄRMs! She just owns Amy!

Ginta- I think…WE SHOULD DRAW ON HER FACE!!

Jack – YEAH!!!

-------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

-----------------------

Well, first off, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to update. School is starting soon, so I think I might just update once a week once it does start. I'm gonna be a freshman!!! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thankee-sankee for waiting patiently!!! Also, I'm glad to know some people want me to update so badly they'll send me a message…(You know who you are!!)

Chapter 11: ...Whoa

_Recap:_

_Suddenly, a cloud of dust was all that was left of Amy as she sped down the hallway trying to escape the two maniacs. She took a left and then hid behind a pillar while they ran (or in Bell's case, flew) in the direction they saw Amy run in. She sighed in relief as she watched them speed down the hallway. In her relief, she didn't notice a hand emerging from the darkness until it covered her mouth and pulled her into the darkness._

_: End Recap_

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_ was all that was going through Amy's mind as she was dragged back farther and farther into the darkness. _NOT AGAIN!!! Didn't I just get through with this?! _She began jerking her arms around and finally managed to crack the kidnapper on the skull.

"ITAI!"

_Eh? That voice sounds familiar…_She then looked over her shoulder and laughed nervously. It was….

….

Pause for a moment of silence….

And for effect—OUCH!! STOP THROWING THINGS AT ME!!!

ALRIGHT!! I'LL GET ON WITH IT!!!!

Anyways…

It was Tom. He was on the ground clutching his head in pain and looking very much the same as before. "Tom!" Amy ran forward and glomped the poor boy and knocked him over. She then sat up on the ground and began firing questions at him.

"What are you doing here? Weren't you in Vestory? How is it? Did you come to watch the War Game? Why were you hiding in the darkness? Why did you drag me into the darkness? Are you trying to seduce me?"

That last question was asked with a glare and greeted with a sweatdrop. He scratched his cheek nervously and then began answering. "Well…in order, I came to cheer for you guys, Vestory is doing much better, I wasn't hiding, I wanted to surprise you and…no, I'm not trying to seduce you." The poor boy was looking a little frightened at the girl's abrupt question asking and cringed when Amy reached forward. She patted him on the head and said, "I'm sorry if I scared you. It's just…I was surprised, that's all. I've already been kidnapped once today." A strange glint appeared in Tom's eyes before worriedly asking, "Really?! Are you alright?" Amy nodded energetically. She then smiled gently. "So, how are you Tom?" Tom smiled back and they launched into an easy conversation. "I'm doing very well, thank you. And what about yourself?" Amy beamed and replied, "I'm doing really well! So…are you looking for Ginta?" Tom nodded gingerly. "Yes…do you know where he is?" Amy shook her head. "I thought I heard him earlier…but I can't hear him anymore…" She then gasped dramatically. "I heard Gaira-san over there as well! Maybe…he kidnapped him too!!!" Tom waved his hands frantically in an attempt to calm down the paranoid teen. "I-I'm sure that Gaira-san wouldn't do that…" Amy blinked owlishly at Tom before breathing deeply. "You're right. I'm sorry for freaking out." The two teens then sat in silence on the stone floor. Tom then shyly murmured, "You know, you're different than the other girls." Amy blinked and then grinned. "Thanks!" Tom chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. "You really are special…" Amy frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?" He waved his hands reassuringly. "Nothing!!" He then muttered once she turned away, "Nothing of your knowledge anyway…"

-------------------------

Intermission

Cookie – I AM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Crying and weeping)

Cast – Hooray.

Cookie – Say it with more feeling!!! And stop laughing at me! (Face has many scribbles on it)

Alviss – Meow! (No!)

Phantom – Meow. (Bite me.)

Cookie - …BAD KITTIES!!!!

Alviss and Phantom – MEOWWWWWWW! (RUN AWAYYYYYYY!)

Amy – Well…at least I'm not bored anymore…

Cookie – What are you implying?

Amy – Yeah, what are you implying Ginta?

Ginta – I didn't say anything!

Amy – Don't play dumb!!

Cookie – I'm surrounded by morons…

-----------------

Time Skip to next morning:

Amy stretched out near Nanashi, Dorothy and Snow as they prepared to go to the Desert Field. _How'd I get back to my room? I remember talking to Tom…where is he?_ Pozun was announcing to the crowd about the four fighters and how they were all different from yesterday and one person was less than pleased with the arrangement.

"Why do I have to sit out?!" Alviss was angrily glaring at the carefree Nanashi. He gave a toothy grin as he answered, "C'mon, Al-chan! You had your fun yesterday! Now it's our turn!!" Alviss then asked, "Where are Ginta and Jack? They never showed up." Amy then seriously stated, "I knew it. Gaira-san kidnapped them." Team MÄR stared at the crazy girl before Dorothy smiled cheerfully and said, "They're probably just training. Relax!!" Snow gave a peace sign before saying, "Leave it to us! Ed, aren't you coming out?" The poor dog then entered his Corner of Woe© as he explained, "Um…you see, I have had trouble sleeping lately…" The Team (and Amy) sweatdropped before regaining their cool. Pozun stepped forward and nervously avoided eye contact with the violent teen. "Well, I shall now transport you to the next battlefield. Are you ready?" At their nods, he held out a finger with a ring on it.

"Andarta! To the Desert Field!"

_I hate heat…_was all that went through Amy's head as they went towards their fight.

* * *

Sorry it's so short, but I have to go somewhere and I promised someone that I'd put a new chapter up today. So…please review and thankee-sankee for reading and waiting! 

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Look in previous chapters for translations.


	12. Care to repeat that?

OMG...where have I been? School must be evil incarnate...especially high school. All those rumors about seniors bullying freshman are (surprisingly) not true. Well...I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! I will never do this again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Spanish teacher is funny...he called Spanish a sexist language.  
----------------------------  
xChibiTenshix: Glad to know someone doesn't think I'm crazy and back away from me in terror...I'm really sorry about the lack of updating. My life is just...really busy. 

Maverick no Knight: Well, you see, I was born and raised in what's one of the hottest cities in America, and I still hate extreme temperatures. I prefer perfect weather. (Who doesn't?)

Nick-kun: Oooooooooh...I like your suggestion. Bwhahahahahaha!

MarHeavenAngel: TOM!  
------------------------------  
Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?  
-----------------------------  
Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow  
------------------------------

Disclaimer:

(Shows tired Cookie lying on a bed with Alviss-kitty and Phantom-kitty sitting on top of her)

Cookie - Too...tired...to do...disclaimer...

Alviss - Meow. (The tired woman doesn't own us or anything to do with MAR except for her ARMs and her OCs)

Phantom - Meow. (What he said)  
---------------------------  
_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ARM - the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

**_Super Emphasis Mode_**

------------------------

Well...I sincerely apologize again about lack of updating. This chapter is going to be short, most likely. (I type as I go along...I never plan ahead.) Anyways...ENJOY!!!

* * *

Chapter 12: Care to Repeat that?

_Recap:_

_I hate heat...was all that went through Amy's head as they went to their fight._

_End Recap:_

As they landed, the team's expressions took on different looks, mostly of amazement and of disgust (Amy).

They had landed directly in a giant, scorching desert.

They walked forward a bit before Amy stopped and smacked her head. Everyone turned to stare at the teen before asking, "What's wrong?" She glared at Pozun before roughly demanding to know, "Oi, baka, how is everyone else going to see what happens?"

He looked confused for a moment before realizing what she meant. "Well...you remember how you found about the War Games, right?" Amy gave him a hate-filled glare before replying, "How can anyone forget?"

He gulped in nervousness before stuttering, "W-well, i-it's the s-same w-way..." Amy looked at him before turning her gaze to the sun.

BIG mistake.

"MY GOD!!! IT BLINDED ME!!!!!!!! HELLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Snow, Dorothy and Nanashi sweatdropped as they observed their not-so-teammate roll around on the sand, clutching her eyes in pain. They decided to leave her be for the moment as they observed the playing field. Nanashi unfolded his arms in surprise and whistled. "It's so big!! We're fighting here?!" Dorothy got a devious smirk on her face as she cackled, "Now, we can really cut loose." Snow just stared at the people she called her teammates. Pozun waved his arm and called out:

"COME!!! CHESS NO KOMA!!!"

Three pillars of sand burst forth out of the ground as the enemy revealed themselves...  
-----------------------

Intermission

Cookie - YAY!!! (Glomps Alviss)

Alviss - MEOW!!!!!!!! (ARGH)

Amy - Are you okay?

Cookie - Nick-kun suggested that I glomp Alviss or Phantom kitty until they pass out!

Cast - ...

Phantom - (I'm sure glad she's not doing it to me)

Alviss - Meooooooooow... (My head...)

Cookie - YAYS!! (Squeezes him harder)

(Alviss passes out and little swirlies are in his eyes)

Ginta - YOU KILLED ALVISS!

Cookie - Huh? OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! ALVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSS!

Amy - I think it's time to start the story again...

----------------------------------------

A giant man with a mask on his face and his large, black cloak was billowing around him eerily.

A little, blond, pigtailed girl wearing a sea-green dress with a large suitcase on her back, a mask on one of her pigtails, and a skull-shaped necklace.

A crouched man with a one-eyed mask, his hair arranged in a windmill style and a black and white jumpsuit on.

"THERE ARE ONLY THREE OF THEM!!!"

Apparently, Amy's eyes had gotten over the solar radiation as she was now pointing defiantly at the Chess Pieces. Her eyes then widened comically as she then pointed at the little girl.

"AND YOU!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Said girl's face remained expressionless as she answered, "Loco is here to fight. Isn't that why you're here? And...our fourth member is right there."

She pointed to the windmill-haired man and he turned slightly to reveal their fourth member...sleeping on his back.

Cue face-fault right here.

Their member had this slightly orange, curly hair, and was wearing what looked like a pair of purple sweats...and it was a guy. A cute guy at that.

_Well...I say it takes a real man to wear pink...so why is purple any different?_

Pozun then announced the names of the Chess Pieces.

"MAIRA!" (Black cloak man)

"LOCO!" (Little blond girl)

"FUUGI!" (Windmill-haired man)

"JIROU!" (Sleepy person) (AN: Virtual cookies to anyone who can guess where I got the inspiration for this OC. I don't own the anime he comes from though.)

Nanashi smirked in delight as he said, "Sweet! They've come out!! Now, I'll go firs--"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!"

Nanashi fell over as turned to stare at a certain ice princess who was now stretching and breathing in deeply. She then gave him a kind and determined smile.

"Let me go first!"

_Woah...assertive Snow._

* * *

Well...that's all for now. I'm really sorry it's short, but I wanted to post this up as soon as possible. So, thankee-sankee for reading, reviewing and waiting and please review again!!! (Bows)  
-------------------------------  
See previous chapters for translations 


	13. Fighting is bad

Well…I'm actually posting a new chapter!!! Yes…I have way too much time on my hands and yes…I'm an unmotivated lazy bum (like Shikamaru…sometimes!) Well, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!!

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Maverick no Knight: Well…you'll find that sometimes I'm lacking in originality for OCs…so I'll use a character from a different anime or manga series to help create me make one! I won't do that for all my OCs, though.

Nick-kun: YES!! Now…let's just randomly laugh together!! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

MarHeavenAngel: YAYS!! (Insert lots of hearts, pink background and sparkly eyes!)

lilmeika: Well…congratulations on guessing!! (Throws out virtual cookies) Also…I apologize if I butcher the fighting scenes…

xChibiTenshix: I hope you like this chapter…I'm sorry for procrastinating.

--------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

----------------------

Disclaimer: Cookie - …

Cast - …

Amy – WHY IS EVERYONE SO QUIET?!!

Alviss – Meow. (We have absolutely no motivation.)

Cast – Ain't that the truth.

Cookie – (Whacks them with Frying Pan ÄRM) STOP USING BAD GRAMMAR!!! …AND DO THE DISCLAIMER!!!

Cast – YES MA'AM!! COOKIE2718 DOESN'T OWN MÄR OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!!

Amy – SHE DOES OWN ME AND MY ÄRMS, THOUGH!! AND WHY ARE WE YELLING?!

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_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

---------------------

Well…I would like for all of you to tell me in a review if I put up a forum whether you would use it or not. Well, enjoy the chappie!!

* * *

Chapter 13: Fighting is bad…right?

_Recap Mode:_

_Woah…assertive Snow._

_: End Recap Mode_

Snow then happily dashed off leaving behind an amazed Amy, a rather disturbed Nanashi and a neutral Dorothy. She then went to stand in the "center of the field." A murmur came from the enemy's side of the field as the one called Fuugi deposited the sleeping Jirou on the sand and went to the center as well.

_Fuugi_

_Chess no Koma_

_CLASS: Rook_

_Snow_

_MÄR_

"FIRST ROUND OF THE SECOND GAME!!" Pozun called out, waving his stubby purple arms around dramatically. He then pointed towards the two fighters.

"BEGIN!!"

"It's you, isn't it?"

Snow blinked in surprise at Fuugi's question and Amy stared at him. His facial expression was covered by a mask, but his voice had a leer to it. ""The Princess of Lestarva…the one named Snow." Amy deadpanned and bluntly stated, "I didn't know there was more than one Princess of Lestarva."

Cue face-fault.

When he regained his footing, Fuugi had a throbbing vein near his eye and pointed at Amy in frustration. "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!! AND BUTT OUT OF THIS!!" Amy then began to count to ten in an effort to restrain herself from bashing his head in with her Frying Pan. Snow didn't seem to mind and puffed out in a determined voice, "That's right!! Got a problem with it!?" Fuugi returned to normal and turned to Snow. "When I heard you were only running away, I'd thought you'd be bit weaker. But you have spunk. To fight a princess…is truly an honor." His fingers twitched in anticipation.

"I hope you won't mind if I don't hold back."

He suddenly adopted a half-crouched position and the sand began whirling around him.

"Nature ÄRM, Vindalva! I am Fuugi of the Wind! It's a pleasure to meet you."

He then thrust his arms outward and the sand developed into this sickle shape and began whirling at high speed towards Snow.

"WIND CUTTER!"

As Snow began leaping and dodging the sand blades, Amy turned to Dorothy and nonchalantly asked, "So…how are you?" Dorothy turned to Amy with this incredulous look on her face. "Um…aren't you paying attention to Snow's match?" Amy waved off that bit of information. "Don't worry! Snow would never lose to a crazy-haired loser!" Dorothy sighed and turned back to the match in exasperation.

At this point, Snow had used Iced Earth to blast icicles at Fuugi. He then murmured, "Tornado" and the icicles were destroyed in a blast of wind. Nanashi whistled in appreciation. "Snow-chan is pretty good!" Dorothy turned to Nanashi. "She's an ice user. If I recall, Gintan first met her after she sealed herself in ice." Amy nodded and chirped, "That's when I met her as well!"

Nanashi's expression turned grim as he then said, "I'm here to exact vengeance for my fallen comrades in Luberia. But that girl…" He paused as they watched her dodge more Wind Cutters. "She's the princess of the country that did this to Mär-Heaven. She's so small, but her reason for being here is huge…" Dorothy observed Snow with a serious expression. "Right…we need to support her."

Her expression then changed to one of determination. "But she's never getting Gintan, ohoho-oho---"Nanashi stared at her (OxO) and Amy looked at her in boredom (--). Amy then watched as Snow got close to Fuugi and began throwing punches at him, which he blocked. She observed the fight, but saw out of the corner of her eye that Loco and Maira were in deep conversation. She then saw Snow's expression, and it seemed to be one of determination. _She's changed so much from when we first met her…she's stronger now._

Fuugi leaped backwards with a wild look in his eye. "IT'S ABOUT TIME WE END THIS, PRINCESS!!" He threw out his arms more fiercely than before. "

WIND CUTTER!"

The sand whirled up more wildly and rushed towards Snow with the appearance of a sand storm. It then reared up and stood tall. Snow's aura became panicked as she looked to all sides of the sand wall. Suddenly, Fuugi lunged out of the sand and Snow gasped. The bystanders had to strain their ears just to hear him hiss, "It' time for your nap, Snow-hime…"

Amy, Dorothy and Nanashi were helpless as Fuugi punched Snow cleanly in the gut and sent her flying backwards.

"SNOW!" Amy watched as her friend flew through the air. Her eyes seemed to be closed, but then they opened in…determination? She then murmured something. Suddenly, a giant snowman landed on the field with an outstretched hand and caught Snow. She gave a smile and declared, "I'm not finished yet, Fuugi! I'll never give up!" She then jumped out of the snowman's hand and onto the ground.

Dorothy grinned. "Ne, Amy, what do you think…" She stared at the crazy teen who was now smacking herself in the forehead. "I KNEW IT!! THE HEAT HAS MADE ME GO BONKERS AND START SEEING THINGS THAT AREN'T THERE, LIKE SNOWMEN IN A DESERT!!! I KNEW ITTTTTTTTTT!!!" Dorothy grabbed Amy's hand and stared her in the eye. "Amy…you're not hallucinating. Snow conjured that snowman."

…

…

…

"Well, now I feel stupid! Why didn't anyone tell me that before I started hurting myself?!" Amy was now whacking her head as punishment for her stupidity. Dorothy sighed and returned to look at the match again.

Fuugi was going into his crouched position as he congratulated Snow, "Well done, Snow! But it ends here!" He then twitched his arm muscles. "Nature ÄRM, Vindalva!" He then began chanting.

"Tornado…Tornado…Tornado!! TORNADO!!"

Four very large tornados then reared up and surrounded Fuugi. Nanashi then stepped forward in awful realization and fear for Snow. "What the hell is that tornado?! If Snow-chan takes that, she'll die!!" Maira then stated, "That's not something that can be ignored. Fuugi intends to finish this now. Jirou snored lightly in reply…he was still sleeping after everything that had happened.

Snow, however, didn't seem disturbed by the fact that there were four giant tornados that were going to some after her and rip her to shreds. She stared them down with determination. Fuugi then spoke, "Snow, when I said I was honored to fight you, I wasn't lying. However…I will be the winner!!" His eyes were wild with the prospect of a win. He then threw his arms outward in his wildest motion yet.

"**TORNADO CUATRO!!**"

Snow didn't run and let the attack engulf her entirely.

Nanashi screamed, "SNOW-CHAN!!" Dorothy and Amy looked on at the scene with held breaths. The opposing team looked on emotionlessly. Fuugi panted a bit as the tornados began to dissipate. "So, she ran away, or was buried in the sand. Either way Snow is…" As the clouds of sand began clearing, Fuugi's visible eye widened in astonishment.

Four large white snowmen were huddled together, protecting something.

Amy screamed and pointed at them, "WHAT THE HEY IS THAT?!"

The snowmen then shrunk back into the ground revealing a gleeful Snow. "Thanks guys!" she chirped cheerfully as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Dorothy then smiled. "The Guardian ÄRM 'Snow Man'. I see…She used multiple guardians to protect herself from the winds!" Snow then waved her arms energetically. "And now then!!" She then rushed towards the wind master with a grin on her face. "Here's the finisher! Let's go Fuugi!!" Fuugi stepped backwards in fear or caution, his expression covered by his mask.

"ONE MORE YUKI-CHAN!!"

A snowman descended from the sky with his arms crossed looking like a gangster as it fell and conveniently landed on top of Fuugi. He gasped and sputtered as he was crushed underneath Yuki-chan.

_Whoa…déjà vu._

Pozun then waved his arm downwards and proclaimed,

"Winner: MÄR, Snow!!"

Snow breathed a sigh of relief for the finish of the match. Maira and Loco were talking quietly about the fight and Jirou was still snoring away. Snow came back to their side and smiled. Amy grinned goofily and glomped the tired hime-sama. "You did it Yuki-hime-chan!" Snow smiled at how the nickname came to be.

_Flashback to Last night:_

"_Ne, Snow-chan?"_

_Snow looked up at the bipolar teen to see what the matter was. Amy stared at her with these big eyes. "Would you mind if I called you Yuki-hime-chan?" Snow blinked and was silent as she processed the nickname mentally. She then grinned and nodded._

_: End Flashback._

Amy stared at the other side of the field and then pointed. "The little girl from the Ice Castle is going next." Everyone turned to see that the one called Loco had walked towards the center of the field. Nanashi gave a toothy grin and proclaimed, "I'll be going next!" He then did a Dorothy-esque chuckle as he explained, "The reason…is I love girls!" He then let out a very feminine 'kyaha' to which Dorothy screamed, "SCREW THE KYAHA'S!"

Pozun then gave off his creepy smile. "Well then…shall we begin the second fight?"

* * *

Sorry I didn't do Intermission, but I wanted to see what your responses would be if I left it out. Please review and tell me if you would like me to start a forum, a special story feature, or whatever, and I will try and work with it as best as possible. Thankee-sankee for reading!! 


	14. Stupid Men

Sorry I keep waiting so long to post a new chapter, but I have school work, orchestra, and volunteer work to do. I sincerely apologize to all my faithful readers and reviewers.

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Ceridwen Inari: I happen to be a somewhat A.D.D. and random person in real life. Amy is insane, but there's a slight reason behind that. I can't tell you what it is though. And if you look, I took your advice and changed the category to Romance/humor. I hope you enjoy!!

Maverick no Knight: Well, thank you for the nice comment!! Amy's hatred of the desert is based off of my extreme sensitivity to heat and cold. I hope that you like this chapter also!!

xChibiTenshix: Well, I saw it listed as "Tornado Quatro" as well, but I decided to go with the Spanish word for "four" or "cuatro" seeing as how there were 4 tornadoes. Also, one of my bad points happens to be procrastinating. (insert sheepish smile here)

MarHeavenAngel: YAY!!!

lilmeika: Well, I'm very glad that you liked the chapter!! Dorothy is a very funny person: serious, possessive, and easily jealous. All that combined creates an interesting mask she wears…one that hides her true intentions…sorta.

Nick-kun: Well…you'll find that often I'll stick in the most random scenes or circumstances that have no purpose in furthering the plot. And…I'm glad to know that Amy is not the only one who would act that way. However, I plan on making this story more serious as I go along.

------------------------------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: Cookie – I have decided to stop spying on the characters during Intermission!!

Cast – WOOT!

Cookie – Now that I'm in such a generous mood, will one of you do the disclaimer?

Cast - …

Alan – Cookie2718 doesn't own MÄR or anything created by the original owner. She does own Amy and her ÄRMs.

Cookie – You're so nice, Alan! But…NO SMOKING!!! (Pulls cigar out of his mouth and tosses it far away)

Alan – HEY!!

--------------------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

----------------------------------------

I have a forum put up…please post in it or I will take it down. I'm also going to stop doing Intermission. Please tell me whether you want me to continue it or not. All of this is to help me write a better story!! Please enjoy!! Also, I apologize about the chapter's title. I'll explain at the end of the chapter why I chose it.

* * *

Chapter 14: Stupid men

_Recap:_

_Pozun then gave off his creepy smile. "Well then…shall we begin the second fight?"_

_: End Recap_

Amy watched slightly interested as the little girl and their resident ladies man made their way toward the center of the field. Nanashi was humming to himself and a fang was poking out of the corner of his mouth, while Loco was…as emotionless as when Amy first saw her.

_Luberia (Boss)_

_Nanashi_

_Loco_

_Chess no Koma_

_CLASS: Rook_

Maira mused rather quietly to himself as the lineup was announced: "Hmmm…this man Nanashi…I'm not sure I'd like to see him after Loco get through with him…"

"Care to repeat that, buddy boy?"

Maira looked over towards our favorite heroes to see a fuming Amy with a deadpanned expression. He leered, "You'll seeeeeee." (AN: Sorry for the OOCness…)

Pozun pointed towards the two fighters.

"SECOND ROUND OF THE SECOND GAME!!!"

"BEGIN!!!"

Nanashi smiled rather flirtatiously at Loco before saying, "Now then, let's see what you got ojou-chan ♥." (Oujo-chan - young lady/girl, miss) He then crossed his arms and grinned at her. "Ladies first! Whenever you're ready!"

Snow: "Huh?" (O.O)

Maira: "…" (Who knows what his facial expression is? He never takes off his darn mask!)

Dorothy: "Stuck-up dumbass…" (Insert angry face here)

Amy: _This is gonna get messy…_ (-.-;)

Loco's eyes were dangerously darker than usual as she said in her monotone voice, "Loco is being underestimated. Loco is angry." She then took her large suitcase off her back and dropped it carelessly on the ground.

"This will end after the first attack."

Nanashi smiled goofily. "Oh! What's that? I bet you got some dolls in there or something!" Loco ignored him as she rummaged through the case, looking for something. "Hmm…this will do."

She then held up an ÄRM necklace with a bandaged person wrapped in chains inside of a cocoon. "One of the seven mystical cursing tools, Neguzero!!" Her eye narrowed as she activated it.

"Movement…sealed!!"

Nanashi suddenly stiffened as his face looked as though he had been struck by lightning. He then attempted to put his arms down, but they didn't even twitch. He grunted before realizing, "My body won't move!!!" Dorothy stared in shock as she yelled, "That woman!!! She's a Darkness-ÄRM user!!" Loco then held up her suitcase and called,

"Cursed Scarecrow!!"

A straw figure with five targets on its body popped out of the suitcase and placed itself on the ground. She then held up a spike and hammer and announced, "Spike and Hammer." (AN: Noooooooo…really?) Nanashi looked a bit panicked as he stuttered, "W-wait a sec!! What are ya doin'?!!" Loco gave off a haunting aura as she hauntingly reminded him,

"**Ladies first.**"

Loco now turned to the Cursed Scarecrow and placed the spike in the left shoulder before driving it in with the hammer. Nanashi screamed in pain as his left arm gave the slightest twitch. Snow gave a small start before exclaiming, "Dorothy!! That's…" Dorothy nodded solemnly. "Darkness!! A cursed ÄRM!! Using those bring disaster…to both the victim and the user!!"

Loco looked over Team MÄR (and Amy) with a bored look on her face. "These ÄRMs don't pose any great risk to Loco. This one's effect is to 'get younger'." Her eye remained emotionless as she continued. "It rejuvenates me…"

"Loco is 32 years old."

Amy: _OMG!!! An old lady!!! O.O _(AN: My apologies to the older viewers of this story and to all the…middle-aged people.)

Loco then turned back to the Scarecrow and stabbed another spike in, this time it was in the right arm. This time, Nanashi doubled over a bit and grit his teeth as his arm was put through huge pain. Loco gave off an aura of being impressed. "You're quite good. Most people die after the shock of two. There are three spikes left. It'll be fun to see how many you can take." She then carefully took one spike and placed it in the dead center of the Scarecrow's chest.

"Number 3." She then smashed it into place with her hammer.

Nanashi's shoulders hunched over in pain as he let out a small cry. Snow screamed at him, "Give up Nanashi-san!! You'll die if you don't!!"

"Leave him be."

Dorothy looked over at Amy who was now sitting cross-legged and munching on some popcorn with a deadpan look on her face. "How can you just sit there and eat?! Aren't you worried about him, even if he is a buffoon?!" Snow nodded in agreement. "Amy-chan, he's our comra—"

"He brought this upon himself!!"

Dorothy and Snow stared at the normally hyper adolescent. She had a scornful look on her face. "By offering the opponent the first chance to attack, he sealed his own fate!! You NEVER allow the enemy an opportunity to attach first, no matter how kind they might seem. It's one of the ancient laws of combat and of war." She stared hard at the both of them. "Both of you know this as well as I do, as does Nanashi! He must learn from his mistakes. No one ever learns anything if someone intervenes every time there is danger." She then turned away from the two girls.

Nanashi was sweating and spoke in a painful grunt. "Yeah…maybe I should give up…" He then straightened up a bit and stared out at the vast plain in a moment of wisdom…

"I'll do it if Dorothy-chan'll let me see her naked."

Snow: "Eh?"

Amy: "YOU PERVERT!!!"

Dorothy: "DIE!!!"

Nanashi chuckled a bit before grinning widely. "Then…I guess I should stick around for a bit longer." His fingers then began trembling as if he were struggling with a heavy object. Suddenly, he arms broke free of their crossed position and he spread them out wide. The chain around the bandaged figure of the Neguzero suddenly snapped. Loco looked at it in awe and in terror before hurriedly smashing another spike into the middle left chest area of the Scarecrow.

"Number 4!!"

This time however, Nanashi stood straight and pointed his finger at her which was crackling with electric energy. Loco looked truly terrified as she then drove the last spike into the middle right chest area.

"NUMBER 5!!"

As soon as she finished, a bolt of lightning struck the Scarecrow, and it burst into flames. As it crumbled to ashes, the 32-year old girl stared at it with more emotion than she's had this entire story so far. Nanashi pointed at her and declared, "That lightning wasn't meant for you. It was a present for this Peta person!!" He looked a bit dazed as he continued. "So for today…we'll leave it…" He then collapsed face first to the sand. "At this…"

Pozun waved his arms in a finishing movement.

"The Winner: Chess no Koma, Loco!!"

Amy eyed the Chess Piece from her spot on the ground. _If Nanashi had aimed that lightning at her, she would have been burned to a crisp. He missed her on purpose._

_In actuality, she lost…and she knows it._

The tall billowing figure of Maira leered eerily over the battlefield. "Well done, Loco." He congratulated. "Now, it's my turn."

Dorothy looked at him with cold eyes as he promised,

"**I'll present MÄR with its first corpse.**"

* * *

Well…I hope you enjoy!! If you're curious about what gets my spark going, then check out my Youtube account!! It's Cookie2718!! Thankee-sankee for reading and waiting patiently!! (bows) 


	15. The Coldness behind the mask

AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I'M SOOOOOOOOOOO SORRYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! I feel so lazy!!! I've been such a slacker!!! I'll try and update frequently for the Christmas break…I'm sorry!!!

-----------------------------------------

Runelesca: Well, I haven't gotten votes in a while, so thank you for that!! I never knew I was good in comedy….--;

Ceridwen Inari: I'm glad that my readers are being so patient with me…I DON'T DESERVE ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!

MarHeavenAngel: I like you…you're very fun-sounding! )

Maverick no Knight: I'm glad that I did a good job. I'm also glad that no one has flamed me yet…NONE OF YOU GET ANY IDEAS NOW!!!

Phantom'sAngel89: Well, Nanashi appreciates that he has a fan that cares about him! -

lilmeika: Wow…I thought no one else had that reaction besides me!! Cause Amy's reaction is how I reacted.

Nick-kun: Well, that was…to the point. I'm kidding, I'll try my best!!

---------------------------------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: Cookie – One more day, one more day, one more day…

Dorothy – Until what?

Cookie – Until school let's out for Christmas!!! One more day, one more day…

Dorothy - …have you been eating cookies again?

Cookie – NO!! ...yes.

Dorothy – I'm kind of glad that MÄR and all of its characters aren't owned by you…although I feel sorry for Amy.

Amy – You won't feel that way for long. I still have to exact my revenge against you for what you did to me in Chapter 7!!!

Dorothy – Oooooooooh…I forgot about that.

Cookie – One more day, one more day, one more day…

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_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

------------------------------------

Well, I took down my forum, because forums are retarded and no one really posts in them anyway…at least not on this website...enjoy!!

* * *

Chapter 15: The Coldness behind the Mask

_Recap:_

_In actuality, she lost…and she knows it._

_The tall billowing figure of Maira leered eerily over the battlefield. "Well done, Loco." He congratulated. "Now, it's my turn."_

_Dorothy looked at him with cold eyes as he promised, _

"_**I'll present MÄR with its first corpse.**__"_

_: End Recap_

Dorothy stepped forward, with a hand on her cheek and an amused expression on her face. "You talk big. Perhaps you don't know who I am…"

_MÄR_

_Dorothy_

Maira's black cloak billowed out behind him as he spoke. "I don't know you, and I have no interest in knowing you. You'll be dead soon, regardless.

_Chess no Koma_

_Maira_

_CLASS: Bishop_

Dorothy pointed at herself with her same amused expression. "Me? Die?"

…

…

…

She burst into her cackle-like laughter as she thought over his words. Tears flew from her eyes and she clutched her stomach as she continued her "O ho ho ho"s.

She then straightened out as if nothing had happened and seriously said, "If that was a joke it wasn't funny."

Snow: "But you just laughed!!" OxO

Nanashi: "…" O.o

Amy: "…Oh, boy." -.-

"3rd Match of the Second Battle!!"

"BEGIN!!"

Nanashi had his arms crossed and was breathing anxiously. "Now for Dorothy-chan! This'll be the first time I get to see her fight!" Snow piped up, "Same here!" Amy merely stared at the field. _I haven't seen her fight…but I can guess her capabilities. This is going to be fun._

Dorothy was thinking rather deeply and staring at the ground before her. "First, a little test…" She pointed her right index finger that had a ring with a helmet on it at the field.

"Ring Armor!"

A lanky suit of silver armor poofed out onto the battlefield in a large cloud of smoke and landed neatly. The armor then began to dash towards Maira with the intention of attacking him. Maira looked at the Ring Armor and stated blandly, "An ÄRM that anyone could use…it seems that I'm underestimated as well."

The Ring Armor's limbs then began tremble as he ceased running. Snow cried out, "The Guardian's movements…they've stopped!!" Suddenly, the armor looked downwards towards its feet as a gooey mass began to cover his feet. Maira's face seemed to become even more sinister as he said, "What a coincidence. I'm a Guardian user as well."

A giant pillar of goop with a single eye in the middle rose up next to Maira, and he announced:

"Meet my Guardian, 'Bakyua'!!"

Quickly, Ring Armor was entirely covered in the same substance as the Guardian's form.

"He engulfs the victim…" As Maira spoke, the crystallized substance began to crack.

"**And destroys them.**"

At this, the Ring Armor reverted back to its normal form and shattered into a million pieces.

Amy was surprised to see that Dorothy didn't look very disturbed, but rather greedy. "Ohhh, you've got a rare one. I want it." Maira smirked (AN: Who knows, we never see the dude's face!) and said, "I'll give it to you, if you defeat me!" He then stretched out his hand towards Dorothy.

"GO BAKYUA!!"

The slimy Guardian began to head to Dorothy at a relatively fast rate. She then tossed an ÄRM out onto the field.

"Guardian, Brikin!"

A stone giant with a square body quickly landed on the field in front of Dorothy. Maira whistled appreciatively. "Oh, a Guardian that's bigger than Ginta's Gargoyle! Engulfing the whole of that Guardian would truly be a task."

"But…" Brikin was aiming a punch at Bakyua…

As the punch landed, there wasn't a 'thud' of a stomach being hit, but rather a 'squelch'.

Bakyua had allowed itself to be hit…for the punch had created a hole that soon filled itself in. Brikin hit it again only to get the same result.

"Bakyua has no specific form!"

Maira's look bored into Dorothy's eyes. "Thus…he can not take damage."

Dorothy looked as serene as she did at the start of the fight. It was as though none of this was sinking in, and she was totally oblivious to it.

Snow's bow drooped as she stared disbelievingly at the scene before her. "Dorothy's…smiling?" Amy shushed the confused hime-sama with,

"Just watch, Yuki-hime-chan. Just watch."

Dorothy's expression remained the same before narrowing into a smirk. Suddenly, Loco's eyes widened and she began to shudder with fear. Dorothy (with a purely evil smirk on her face) waved her arm and called her Guardian back. It poofed back onto her left wrist as a bracelet.

Maira pointed a long fingernail at Dorothy. "Oh? So you've accepted it. Now…I'll have him engulf you. And you'll die. This battle will end with MÄR's first corpse!!"

Dorothy activated another ÄRM:

"Dimension ÄRM, 'Zipper'!"

A giant zipper appeared in the air next to her and unzipped itself to reveal a gaping void. Dorothy stuck her hand inside and began to sift through whatever contents lay beyond it. "I wonder where I'll find it." Her voice had a child-like teasing tone to it.

"The ÄRM that will kill you ♫."

* * *

I'm so sorry that it's so short, but I really wanted to post it before I got too distracted. Thankee-sankee to everyone for their positive reviews and for being so patient!! Ja ne! 


	16. Finish and Start

Well, here is the next chapter I promised you guys!! I'm going to make this one extra long just for you guys!!

-------------------------------

Nick-kun: Well, I'm glad I updated too! Although, I don't think Amy was very happy…

lilmeika: I hope this chapter meets everyone's expectations…

MarHeavenAngel: 

Dorothy: Dorothy-sama appreciates that she has a fan and assures you that she will not let you down!!

Phantom'sAngel89: Well, thank you for the clarification, although I think you might have given Nanashi a heart attack…or it could be that I made all the characters skip breakfast and lunch to help me put up Christmas decorations…yeah, that's probably it.

Maverick no Knight: Well…Dorothy is very notorious for her thievey-ness and for other things…

Ceridwen Inari: Happy Holidays!!

----------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: Amy: I'M NOT JUST NOT VERY HAPPY, I'M MAD!! I don't want to be deleted!!

Cookie – Chill out. I'm not gonna delete—(Giant Backspace key appears out of no where)

Amy – AUGHHHHHHHHH!!! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!! (Backspace key and Amy start a very lively game of Cat & Mouse)

Cookie - …Wow, I wish I had owned MÄR and all of its characters…but I don't. If wishes were horses then beggars would ride, as the saying goes.

Amy – I could use a horse right about now!!

---------------------------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

------------------------------------

Well…I hope this chapter will work out okay…what am I saying? I can edit this thing!! Enjoy!!

* * *

Chapter 16: Conclusion to a battle and the Start of the next

_Recap:_

_A giant zipper appeared in the air next to her and unzipped itself to reveal a gaping void. Dorothy stuck her hand inside and began to sift through whatever contents lay beyond it. "I wonder where I'll find it." Her voice had a child-like teasing tone to it._

"_The ÄRM that will kill you ♫."_

_: End Recap_

Dorothy continued to rummage around in the void, while murmuring to herself, "Not this one…not this one either." Her eyes never left the man in front of her, and when her arm finally stopped moving, she smiled coyly at Maira. "Yes! He's always good." She pulled her arm out of the Zipper ÄRM to reveal a wolf head dangling from a chain.

If Amy remembered correctly, that ÄRM was the one that Dorothy had used that night in the Ice Castle. Her mouth twitched and her eyes gleamed with excitement. _I believe I've read about that ÄRM…he's in trouble if that's the one I think it is…_

Maira apparently didn't know what that ÄRM was and flexed his hand as if he was grasping something. "Oh? And what would that ÄRM be? Is it Weapon or Guardian? Regardless…"

The slimy Guardian rose up threateningly next to the Chess Piece. He chuckled, "Bakyua will soon kill you!"

"ENGULF HER, BAKYUA!!"

At his command, the Guardian rushed forward to Dorothy and was about to end her life, when…she waved a finger towards herself as if beckoning something over to her and whispered with a dangerous gleam in her eyes:

"**Come out, 'Toto'.**"

Mere moments before Bakyua reached Dorothy; a crack appeared in the air above Dorothy and Bakyua was pulled into the dark void. Maira inhaled sharply once Bakyua had been pulled all the way into the hole. The field was now silent…

…except for the fact that there were crunching and slurping noises coming from the same hole.

- Snow stared with a fearful look in her eyes.

- Nanashi's mouth was grit in apprehension and slight fear.

- Loco and Fuugi were awestruck at the events that had just occurred.

And Jirou…was still sleeping. Honestly, he's just as bad as his Prince of Tennis counterpart.

Amy had a much different reaction. She smirked wildly and had to suppress the urge to laugh at the foolishness of the Chess Piece on the field. _It's too late…he's a dead man walking._

Some more chewing and a 'gulp' was heard and then finally, an exhale signifying that whatever was in that hole was done with whatever they had been doing. Suddenly, Bakyua's ÄRM burst into a shower of metal and Maira screamed, "Bakyua…my Bakyua!!?"

Dorothy smiled happily and questioned, "Was it good, Toto?" Out of the hole, a massive paw reached out and stepped on the ground. Gray fur was revealed as it began to come out of the hole and the ÄRM answered in a growling tone, "It was too syrupy…"

The ÄRM was a giant gray wolf with beady yellow eyes and sharp white teeth. It stood near Dorothy and finished answering her question.

"So not really…"

Suddenly, Dorothy's face took on an angry look. "Hey you…you broke the ÄRM."

Dot dot dot.

She then began whacking the dog furiously and yelled over and over, "Stupid dog, stupid dog!!" Toto began whimpering in pain and large anime tears sprung from his eyes. "Ow ow ow…Sorry Master!! You always tell me to eat them…" Her gaze turned hard and she stared at the Chess Piece. "Well…I didn't want it that badly. It wasn't really to my tastes." Maira yelled at Dorothy in a confused and frightened manner, "He _**ate **_it!? He ate Bakyua?!!"

Dorothy pointed at the frightened man with a menacing look in the entirety of her face. "Guardian ÄRM 'Rain Dog'. His name is Toto and I'm quite fond of him. But he is a bit of a pig…" Toto let out a whimper at this.

Maira raised his hands in defeat and stuttered, "I-I give up! I don't have any ÄRMs left!!" Pozun waved his arms to indicate the end of the match and announced, "Winner—"

"Wait."

"**This isn't over yet**."

Dorothy smiled innocently at Maira, who was now shaking in fear. "Sorry, but I'm not as nice as the others." She pointed at herself and stuck her tongue out in a cute childish manner. "Remember…I'm the sorceress, Dorothy!! Toto…"

"_**Eat him.**_"

The very last thing that Maira ever saw was the saliva-covered, sharp, white teeth of Toto. As the giant dog began to feast on the first corpse of the Chess Pieces, everybody had mixed reactions. Loco whispered her fallen comrades' name in disbelief, while Snow shut her eyes and turned away from the awful sight. "How…how could you?!"

"Get with it, Snow."

The princess stared at Amy who had been watching the whole scene with a blank expression. She retorted angrily, "Well, excuse me for not being a cold-hearted murderer!!"

SLAP!!

Snow held her now red cheek in pain and stared in confusion at the teen, who was now standing. Amy's eyes were now narrowed in fury and she hissed at the young teen, "Despite its name, this is no game, Snow. This is a war!! Maira was fully prepared to kill Dorothy in case you forgot, and that was nothing compared to the last War Game!!! Dorothy knows that perfectly well, and that's why she did that! She was making a point Snow: Your kindness could one day be your downfall."

With that lecture, Amy turned from her and sat back down. Snow's eyes were beginning to get moist, but her voice was level as she asked:

"Then…why did you heal those Chess from the first battle?"

The teen was silent for a moment before answering, "Because…they truly cared about one another. They were willing to give up anything for each other…whereas Maira gave up the match in his moment of cowardice to save his life."

"The kind of people I healed…deserve to live and receive a second chance."

Nanashi (who had watched the entire fight without saying a word) and Snow stared at the mysterious girl. _She seems as though she's never serious…but that was just a mask, wasn't it? Is this her true nat—?_

"NYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, Dorothy, don't put him away yet!!!"

…

…

…

"DOGGIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" The rest of Team MÄR sweatdropped as they watched Amy glomp Toto, who didn't seem to mind seeing as his tail was wagging happily and his tongue flopped out of the side of his mouth. He almost seemed like a normal dog when you saw Amy petting him.

Keyword: Almost.

After Amy hugged Toto to her heart's content, Dorothy reverted him back to his ÄRM form, and announced cheerfully, "It looks like the Chess have their first corpse!!" Amy smiled and made her way to the centerfield while murmuring, "Now…it's my turn."

----------------------------

Intermission

Cookie – I haven't had one of these in a long time…

Alviss – I haven't been in the past few chapters.

Cookie – That's because you're an innocent bystander-san!!

Alviss - …

Cookie – Now, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my story!! I can't believe I have over 2500 hits!!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!

Amy – Now, take this opportunity to go grab some snacks, and please proceed with caution out of the viewing area.

Jack – This isn't a movie!!

Amy – OMG!! You're still alive?!

Ginta – I'm not gonna even try…

Babbo – What is that supposed to mean, insolent wench?!

Cookie – Back to the story!!

---------------------------------------

"JIROU!! Wake up!!! It's your turn now!!" Fuugi was now shaking Jirou frantically to wake him up, but the sleeping boy wasn't complying. Loco was staring at the two as if they were crazy and turned to stare at the bipolar teenage girl who was standing in the centerfield. Amy's left eye was twitching dangerously and a vein was throbbing. Her arms were crossed and she was tapping her right foot impatiently. Nanashi called out to the girl soothingly, "Now, now, Amy-chan, don't do anything stu—"

"WAKE UP STUPID!!"

In the time span of three seconds, Amy had crossed over to the Chess's side, grabbed Jirou by the collar, and proceeded to slap the living daylights out of the poor boy.

Everyone else: O.O

"Um…Amy-chan, you might want to stop…"

"Why should I?!"

"I think you're killing him."

"Are? OMG!! I'M SO SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!"

With that, she dropped the poor boy and began apologizing profusely. Pozun cleared his throat nervously and said, "Um…if he doesn't wake up, then it's a default victory to M---Amy." Suddenly, a curly head shot up and waved a hand in the air.

"I'm sorry!! I'm awake now!!"

He stood up and dusted off his outfit before fingering his bruised cheeks. He grinned goofily at Amy. "You sure pack a hard punch…just like your speech back there. Your friend also didn't look very happy when you slapped her. You should probably apologize to her."

_Jirou_

_Chess no Koma_

_CLASS: Rook_

Amy blinked at the now talkative boy in amazement. He suddenly sobered when he mused, "Although, I never thought Maira would die this early on. That was a shock." He then grinned again while lightly scratching his cheek. "You did look cute when you were hugging that giant dog, Toto, though." Amy blushed a bit before suddenly realizing something.

_Amy_

_No Team Affiliation Known_

"Wait a minute…you were asleep all this time!! How could you have known what was happening?!"

_I'm pretty sure he was sound asleep…his teammates would have known if he was faking it…so, how?_

Jirou's finger stopped in its motion and his face took on this devious smirk. "Why don't you wait and find out?"

"Final Match of the Second Battle!!"

"BEGIN!!"

Before Amy could even react, or blink, Jirou whipped out an ÄRM from his front pocket and held it out. It looked like an Indian Dream Catcher and was decorated as such, with feathers, beads, and bound with white string. The only difference from normal dream catchers it had was that the circle was pure gold. He smirked as he held it out and pointed it at her.

"Dimension ÄRM, Land of Dreams!!"

With that, a bright light flashed through out the field, and everyone covered their eyes to prevent themselves from being blinded.

A few moments passed, and the light suddenly died down.

Everyone looked up at the playing field and was stunned by what they saw.

During the few moments that had passed, Jirou had crumpled to the ground and was now lying there in a heavy slumber while still clutching his ÄRM. The really odd thing was that Amy had also fallen asleep on her side of the playing field and was curled into what Nanashi recognized as her sleeping position (AN: He was on wake-up duty for her once, in case you forgot.).

What really freaked out Team MÄR was the fact that both combatants' eyes were wide open, but were devoid of any life.

It looked as though they had died, but they were both breathing.

Fuugi taunted the shocked team, "Now that she's in Jirou's Territory, this match is as good as over."

Snow clasped a hand over her mouth in shock while Nanashi half-screamed, "What do you mean?!"

Loco blinked and replied:

"No one who has ever gone into Jirou's Territory has ever returned."

* * *

Ooohhhhhhhhhhh….Cliffhanger!! How's this for an update? I hope you enjoyed this!! Thankee-sankee for all the hits and for reading and reviewing!! 


	17. Haunting Message

I don't think a lot of people are reading the whole story…I think it's because of that really bad 1st chapter. Tell me please, do you enjoy this story? You know, I've always wanted fanart…it's a crazy obsession of mine that will probably never come true (hint hint). I'm just joking!! I would never ask someone to do that…I'm too shy and insignificant…

------------------------------

narie-chan: Oh, Amy does go to Dream Land…but does she enjoy her time there? That, my dear reader, is the true question that shall be answered in this chapter of (Dun dun dun) Saving This World!!

Ceridwen Inari: I don't know…you'll have to read and find out!!

Maverick no Knight: I want to take this opportunity to apologize to all the Snow fans out there. I like Snow too, but what's a story without conflicts between friends? Although Amy appreciates your thanks. .

lilmeika: I get hyper after eating a bunch of sugar as well!! I'm feeling a little hyper right now!!

MarHeavenAngel: GO TEAM GO!!

--------------------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom/Rolan (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: Nanashi – Well, you sure have your readers hyped up.

Cookie – Yuppers!! .

Dorothy – Then, I take you won't be mad that I'm giving them all of your cookies.

Cookie – Yup—wait, WHAT?! HOW COULD YOU?!

Dorothy – Here, everyone!! (Tosses out dozens of cookies)

Cookie – NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! (Tries to rescue some cookies)

Nanashi – Cookie2718 doesn't own MÄR or any of its characters or concepts. She only owns Amy, her ÄRMs, and the various OCs that you'll read about.

Cookie – NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

----------------------------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

------------------------------------------------

Those who get very squeamish reading about even a little blood, you might want to be careful…It's not even that bad, but a word of caution anyway. Enjoy the story and Happy New Year!!

* * *

Chapter 17: A Haunting Message of a Dying Man

_Recap:_

_What really freaked out Team MÄR was the fact that both combatants' eyes were wide open, but were devoid of any life._

_It looked as though they had died, but they were both breathing._

_Fuugi taunted the shocked team, "Now that she's in Jirou's Territory, this match is as good as over."_

_Snow clasped a hand over her mouth in shock while Nanashi half-screamed, "What do you mean?!"_

_Loco blinked and replied:_

"_No one who has ever gone into Jirou's Territory has ever returned."_

_: End Recap_

With the people at Reginrave:

People were muttering excitedly at the news that they just heard Loco convey.

"The girl's a goner, apparently."

"Che, good riddance! She was a disgrace to the Cross Guard and Team MÄR!"

"But, she said she never swore allegiance to either side…not even to that Thieves' Guild…"

"Could she have been a spy for the Chess?"

"What about those times where she said that she was going to defeat the Chess?"

"She could have been pulling a fast one on us!"

Sniffles could be heard from a small girl, who was desperately wiping away her tears as a young boy (who was clearly her older brother) was hugging her and glaring at every single man who had made a remark.

"I don't know…"

"Come on, either way, what's happening now is clearly for the bes—"

"SHUT UP!!"

Everyone immediately became silent, as they looked toward the origin of the outburst. Alviss was shaking with barely concealed anger and his nails were making grooves in the palms of his hands. He spat out, "None of you…have any idea…of what she's like!!"

_Flashback:_

"_I wanted (huff) to apologize (huff) to you and…um…"_

_A white-winged angel flew gracefully over to Alviss and touched his shocked face gently. The blood flow lessened and stopped and the blood on his face melted away. The healer then bowed and returned to her accessory. Alviss touched his own face hesitantly to find it clean of any trace of blood. He bowed his head, embarrassed, and whispered lightly, "Thank you." Amy beamed, "You're welcome!"…_

_: End Flashback_

He then turned and glared at all the men in the vicinity, who shrank back in shame and in fear. The little boy loosened his grip on his sister and timidly tugged on the sleeve of the irate Cross Guard member. Alviss peered down, and his gaze softened. The boy then asked, "Um…is Amy-oneechan gonna be okay?" Alviss then knelt down and smiled and nodded. With this simple motion, the little girl brightened and beamed happily. Alviss then curiously asked, "How do you know her?" The two children then chirped, "She helped us out when we were lost!!" The boy then pointed to himself. "I'm Sasuke, and this is my sister, Meg." The girl then piped up in a sweet voice, "Is onee-chan really gonna be okay?" Alviss then patted her on the head and reassured, "I'm sure that right now, she's figuring a way out! She's fine!!"

---------------------------------

Land of Dreams:

_Holy crap, I'm dooooooooooomed!!_

The topic of most of the gossip was sitting on her behind, anime tears flowing freely from her eyes, and she was twitching rather violently.

_Why Kami-sama? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!_

Perhaps her distress had to do with the fact that her legs were bruised and scratched to the point where it hurt to stand. Or maybe it was the fact that her normal outfit (AN: See ch.2 for description) was gone and was replaced with a frilly, lacy, blue Lolita-style dress that little girls adored wearing, complete with matching shoes. Maybe it was the fact that the place she was in was a sugary, wonderful place of sweets and joy and joy-ness. It was most likely, however, the fact that she was surrounded by fuzzy adorably little woodland creatures.

That happened to be foaming at the mouth and their eyes were glowing a deadly shade of red and they were snarling quite dangerously.

Not so much of a sweet place of joy-ness now, was it?

Amy stared at the animals and tried moving her legs. A rabbit in front of her growled even louder, so she ceased trying. Her eyes darted around, trying to find some kind of opening, but to no avail.

"Well…what do you think?"

Momentarily forgetting the fact that she was surrounded by deadly cute and fuzzy animals, she whipped her head around to stare at the man who had brought her there. He was dressed in armor, the kind that the hero of a fairytale would wear, with the flowing cape, and he was carrying his helmet in the crook of his left arm.

The only difference between his armor and a fairytale hero's armor…was that his armor was pitch black.

Jirou smirked and patted a candy cane tree next to him. "You know, you're the first girl that's been in my Territory in a long time." Amy ignored the remark and asked, "What exactly is your Territory anyway?"

"Like I said earlier, it's the Land of Dreams."

"Here, anything I dream of comes to life, whether it's a good dream…or a nightmare."

Amy then raised her hand and he stopped his speech and stared irritably at her. "What is it?" She then asked with a sugar-coated voice and an innocent look on her face, "So, is this land of sweets and joy-ness a nightmare or a good dream?"

…

…

...twitch.

SMACK!

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, what was that for?"

"For implying that I have the mentality of a five year old!!"

…smirk.

SMACK!

"Don't smirk!! This isn't my dream!! It automatically starts out like this!!"

Jirou then continued with his speech. "In here, I never lose energy, and I can see everything that goes on in the outside world via that." He then pointed to a small lake and Amy craned her neck as best as she could to look into it.

She could see Snow covering her face, and shaking from either fright or sorrow. Nanashi was staring at her collapsed body with grit teeth and clenched fists. Dorothy was anxiously staring at Pozun.

"What do you mean, you'll have to disqualify them?!"

Amy's heart nearly stopped. _Disqualify?! I can't be kicked out of this War Game!!_

"Well, we can't see what is happening in his Territory, so I'm going to have to disqualify them for the sake of fairness…"

"How fair can you be when you're hired by the Chess?!"

Amy giggled at that, while Jirou had this thoughtful look on his face. "We're to be disqualified? Well, that's not good…I'm going to have to use that…" he was murmuring to himself. He then waved his hand and a megaphone 'poofed' right into his hand. (AN: I know that the people of MÄR-Heaven probably wouldn't know what a megaphone is…I just need it for this particular scene.) He then held it up to his mouth and began to speak.

"Hello, audience members! Contrary to what you might be thinking, neither of us are willing to be disqualified. We are about to begin the battle shortly. Thank you for cooperating!!"

Amy sweatdropped and thought, _I wonder if he was the one who wrote that note from the Magic Stone _(Ch. 9)_…_she then called out to him, "Um…I don't think they can hear us in here…" He paused and then told her, "I thought I told you, I can make almost anything I want happen here. Including letting the audience see us where we are."

"…WHAT?!"

---------------------------------

At the Desert Field:

Snow was staring at the sun (AN: Like how everyone else watches the fights) with a look of pure relief on her face. "Thank goodness she's all right…" Dorothy, however, twitched rather violently. "What is she wearing? And…are those woodland animals surrounding her?" Nanashi was laughing at the entire scene. "It (snigger) looks like somethin' (chuckle) out of a (snort) little kids' bedtime story!!" Fuugi slapped his forehead in annoyance and Loco muttered, "Idiot…"

-----------------------------------

At Reginrave Castle:

"Pretty…" Meg was staring up in awe at the scene she was now watching. Sasuke was snickering quietly and sneered, "So, the Chess use girly ÄRMs? How pathetic…" Meg then faced her brother and yelled defiantly, "It is not pathetic!!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

Alviss was staring at the sun with a look of pure disbelief on his face. _I don't even want to know where he got that ÄRM. Amy, you better get out of there safely…_

----------------------------------

Back to Land of Dreams:

Jirou was now clutching his aching head as Amy towered over him fist held up.

"You could have told me that everyone in MÄR-Heaven could see me like this!!"

"You never asked!!"

…WHACK!

"OW!"

"Are we gonna get started or what? But first…can you call off your rabid bunnies and badgers?"

Jirou looked up and saw that the animals still circled his opponent, waiting for the right moment to attack. He sighed and snapped his fingers. Instantly, they burst into little clouds of smoke and Amy rubbed her legs worriedly. Jirou then asked, "How did you get those scratches in the first place?" She glared at him and replied shortly, "When I woke up, I found your rabies-infested creatures gnawing on my legs like they were pocky!!"

"…I like pocky."

"IDIOT!! IT HURT!!"

"ARGHHHHHH, DON'T HIT ME!! Okay, fine!! Let's start the fight!!"

-------------------------------

Start of Fight:

Amy was standing as best she could, but she was wobbling uncertainly from the cuts and bites on her legs. Jirou had made the megaphone vanish and placed the helmet on his head. The air had a menacing aura to it, the sky turned dark, and the wind was picking up speed. Amy contemplated her moves. _First to see his capabilities…_

"Frying Pan ÄRM!"

Once it appeared, she chucked it at straight at Jirou.

3…

2…

1…

He suddenly called out, "Dream Vine!"

A giant root sprouted from the ground right in front of Jirou and easily deflected the Frying Pan. His voice had a smirking edge to it, "Did you really think that would be enough to defeat me?"

Amy deadpanned, "Well…yeah."

…

…

…

"Dream Vines!"

Amy was suddenly lifted in the air by four green vines, each one tied to an ankle or a wrist. She tried to move her leg, but the vine tightened, nearly cutting off the blood circulation to her foot. He then raised his hand, and she was lifted high into the air. She bit her lip and tried not to look down.

That meant she didn't see Jirou's maniacal smile, but she heard, "I'll show everyone what happens when you cross the Chess!!"

He made a violent, down-ward motion.

----------------------------------

Intermission

Cookie – I really changed Jirou from Prince of Tennis…

Ginta – Wasn't he a good guy?

Cookie – Well…his personality was good in Prince of Tennis…but I had to change 'cause I made him a villain!!

Jack – I'm surprised no one has flamed you yet.

Cookie – Eh, my story is too crappy to be flamed…and don't flame me just because you feel sorry for me!! (Points at readers)

Ginta – Flaming is a bad thing, in case you forgot…

Cookie – BACK TO THE STORY!!

-------------------------------

All Amy heard was her scream of pain, all she felt were her bones being crushed, and all she wanted was for the pain to stop. Jirou grinned sadistically through his helmet, and yelled, "Maira made the mistake of underestimating his opponent, but I won't do the same!! You will be the 1st corpse of MÄR!!" He then lifted his hand, and repeated the violent process. He then did it over and over again…

_Did he…say something? I couldn't hear it…_

_It…hurts too much…_

_Somebody…anybody…_

_MAKE IT STOP!!!_

"_Come on now, how do you expect to save anyone when you can't snap yourself out of your pain long enough to defeat the enemy?!"_

_Master, is that you?_

"_Quit your self-pitying and do what I taught you to do!!"_

_Um…okay…should I use __**that **__ÄRM?_

"_No, just let him kill you. Of course use that one, you ninny!!"_

_All right, all right!! Sheesh…_

"Persona ÄRM, level 1!!"

Amy's bracelet charm glowed pink before emitting a bright white light, forcing everyone (Audience and fighters) to cover their eyes. You could actually hear twinkling coming from the source of the bright light. When the light finally diminished, Jirou looked up to see that his vines were no longer bound to Amy, but were lying motionless on the ground, and were a shocking shade of **pink**.

And standing on top of the vines, was Amy.

At least, it had to be her since there was no way out of the Land of Dreams that she knew about. This Amy had bubblegum pink hair and matching eyes that were gazing at her enemy. Her outfit had undergone a drastic change as well, resembling that of a female genie. Her pants reached down to her ankles and flared out at the bottoms. Her shirt was incredibly short, only covering the…ahem, chest area, and was strapless and sleeveless. Her shoes curled up at the toes, and she had a pink jewel on her forehead and two silver earrings on each ear. The entire outfit was a sparkly light pink, and her arms and fingers were covered in pink crystal jewelry.

'Amy' waved cheerfully at Jirou. "Hi!! It's nice to meet you!!"

Dot dot dot.

"Um…in case you forgot, we've met before…"

"You met Mistress, but you haven't met me!! I don't really have a name, but you can call me Pinky!!"

"Pinky…right…did you hit your head on something?"

Pinky giggled and waved her hand. "Nope! Do you remember when that bright light appeared? That was Mistress (or Amy) activating her ÄRM!! You must be tougher than usual, because she hasn't had to use me in a while!!"

Jirou opened the visor on his helmet and smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Anyway, I'm level 1 of her ÄRM. I'm basically her…just one of her emotions. There are a total of 5 levels, and we each exist as a separate person, or persona. Hence, you have the Persona ÄRM!! Any questions before we start again?"

"Dream Vines!!"

A new set of vines burst forth from the ground, and headed toward the weapon-less Pinkie.

A giant cloud of dust appeared where she was, but everyone was shocked to see the ending result.

Pinky was standing on top of what looked like a giant boomerang that was made of pink crystal. The vines were held down by the enormous weapon and struggled for a moment before turning limp. She tutted loudly and frowned disapprovingly at the Chess member. "You know, it's polite to tell a lady when you're about to attack them…" Jirou growled, and then pointed at her.

"Death by Sweets!!"

A candy cane tree uprooted itself from the ground, and the end sharpened to that of a spear. It then flew towards her, with obvious intention of impaling the girl. She leaped off of the boomerang and much to Jirou's surprise; it unearthed itself and followed her. She grabbed it and hurled it at the candy cane.

"Weapon ÄRM, Crystal Boomerang!!"

The ÄRM picked up speed, and smashed cleanly through the candy cane spear. As the pieces fell to the ground, the Boomerang returned to Pinky and returned to its normal form, a large, pink, crystal ring. The girl smirked, but then she paled considerably.

The pieces of the spear picked themselves up, and resumed their chase. The level 1 persona then began running, seemingly in random directions. The mini-spears followed her every movement, going through every obstacle, and were gaining on her.

_I see…they're going to follow me until they either hit me, or…until Jirou calls them off!_

Jirou's taunting voice suddenly called out, "There is no way out of here! Only I can leave here, and the only way you can leave is to defeat me!! And no one has ever done that before!!"

Pinky growled and then quickly stopped to catch her breath. Just when the spears were about to run through her, she ran straight towards Jirou. What happened next shocked everyone.

She hugged him.

She grabbed him, and tightly hugged the shocked Rook. Suddenly, she murmured something into his ear. Before he could respond, she whirled around him so that she was back to back with him.

_I'm sorry…_

Jirou could barely register what she said and why she said it. Now he knew. He stared down at his chest, where the razor sharp candy cane spears were impaled. He coughed, and felt something wet trickle down his lips.

_She beat me? Huh, that's really impressive…congratulations._

The Land of Dreams faded to black.

--------------------------------

The Desert Field:

Snow was beginning to get panicky due to the fact that the sun had gone back to normal (Nanashi figured that out when his eyes were nearly burnt to a crisp). Suddenly, Amy's body shakily stood up and looked at down at her opponent.

Snow: "Amy-chan! You're back!!"

Dorothy: "Congratulations on the win!"

Nanashi: "My…eyes…"

Amy smiled faintly at them before turning back to stare at the body. _Any minute now…_

Jirou's body stirred and he tried to push himself up, only to fall back down. Amy offered her hand, and after staring at it for a moment, he accepted it and stood up. Pozun looked between the two anxiously, before saying, "You need to continue fighting until one of you is the winner."

Jirou held up his hands in surrender, and cheerfully stated, "Nah, she beat me back there. Didn't you see? She's the winner." He then lowered his arms and smiled wistfully. "Besides, I can't fight anymore."

With those words, his body began to fade into the background.

He grinned and then said, "Do you know what happens if the one who invokes the Land of Dreams ÄRM dies there?" Amy shook her head while staring wide-eyed at what was happening to her opponent. He continued, "My body and spirit are being taken to the Land of Dreams to stay there…forever. I can never leave there…and I'm transformed into something related to the landscape. Those animals you saw were past users of the Land of Dreams that had died there."

His body was fading rather rapidly now, and he was nearly transparent.

"You know, you're the very first and last person to ever defeat me. As a reward, I'll tell you something good."

Amy's eyes perked up a little and she managed to clearly ask, "What is it?"

Jirou sobered and said his last words.

"**The one you thought was dead…is alive and closer to you than you could ever dream.**"

He then smiled one final time, and his body completely disappeared…

And a frightened scream echoed throughout the playing field.

* * *

Wow…I hope that wasn't horrible. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!! 


	18. THEY'RE NOT DEAD!

I have almost 75 reviews for my story! Thank you all so much! You are all very wonderful people!!

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Maverick no Knight: Well, I'm glad that you like my story! And know this…rabbits are carnivorous in large packs in fantasy worlds.

MarHeavenAngel: YAY FOR SUGAR!!

Phantom'sAngel89: I'm lazy too…I'M SORRY FOR PUTTING OFF THIS STORY!!

narie-chan: We're sorry. Your call can not be completed as dialed. Please hang up, or for delivery options, press pound.

Ceridwen Inari: Well…I guess it would be worse for guys…are you a guy or a girl?

-------------------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss, Phantom, and Rolan?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: Amy – Why did you make Master so meannnnnnnnnn?!

Cookie – She was one of those old-people-who-seem-really-nice-at-first-then-turn-out-to-be-a-physcotic-trainer-people!!

Amy - …I had no idea of what you just said.

Cookie – No need to know! I don't own MÄR or any of its concepts or characters! I do have 50 manga books though!

Amy – O.O Where did you get that much money?!

Cookie - …I dunno.

------------------------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

------------------------------------------------

Well, it seems that I'm getting less and less reviews per chapter…maybe that's just me… Yes, I've finally narrowed down my OC's pairings to 2 options! Enjoy this chapter!!

* * *

Chapter 18: THEY'RE NOT DEAD!!

_Recap:_

"_**The one you thought was dead…is alive and closer to you than you could ever dream.**__"_

_He then smiled one final time, and his body completely disappeared…_

_A frightened scream echoed throughout the playing field._

_: End Recap_

"The Second War Game is over! The winner, MÄR!"

The four combatants were then transported back to Reginrave Courtyard. The air was thickly solemn as Team MÄR stepped forward and they saw the young teenage girl that had emitted the scream of fright. Nanashi was holding her gently in his arms, and she seemed to be unaware of all the people gathered around her, as she clutched her arms and her wide eyes stared blankly ahead. Her body was trembling and she was absolutely silent. Alviss stared in shock at the poor girl before moving forward. He quietly asked the blond thief, "How is she?"

Nanashi shook his head and murmured, "She won't respond to anything we say…who could that creep have been referring to?" Alviss shook his head to indicate he didn't know. "I'll take her up to her room…it's quieter up there." Nanashi smiled wolfishly and gently deposited the motionless girl in Alviss's outstretched arms. This transition seemed to spark something, for Amy relaxed and then her eyes shut as she entered a peaceful sleep. Alviss faintly blushed before shaking it off and walking towards Reginrave Castle, followed by a pouting (but quiet) Bell.

The audience then began to speak up a bit more, now that the distraught teenaged girl was out of the vicinity.

"Awesome! They won again!!"

"And the girls are the one that won!! This team's strong!!"

"But the guy lost."

"SHUT UP!"

----------------------------

Inside the castle, an hour later:

Amy's fingers twitched and her eyes slowly opened as she slowly eased herself up from her curled sleeping position. She stared blankly at the parallel wall for a moment before drawing her legs close to her body and burying her face in her knees.

_How could…he know anything…he doesn't…he's dead, and he's never coming back…_

"AMY!!!"

Her head jerked towards the direction of the door to see a grinning Ginta and Jack. Her sorrowful expression disappeared in an instant as she leapt off the bed and glomped the two boys.

"OMG!! I thought Gaira murdered you two!!"

"He almost did!!"

"I thought I'd never see another girl…"

"…right. Well, I'm really glad you two are okay!"

"HE TRIED TO HIT US WITH ROCKS!!"

"The trauma, the trauma…"

"…what kind of training did you two go through?"

"AUGH!"

CRASH!

"OMG, Jack!! Are you okay?!!"

"We'd rather not talk about it."

* * *

Sorry this chapter is really short, but I've been really busy. I plan one making the next one longer than this one. Thankee-sankee for waiting so long and reviewing!! 


	19. New meetings and old stories

Oh…my…gosh! I'm so sorry for being lazy! This chapter is going to be long, just for you guys!

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xWeaselxWolfx: Thank you for reviewing my story! I hope you enjoy this story as it continues! Rolan should come in soon…

Nick-kun: I'm sorry Nick-kun! I really wanted to update, but I didn't have the time to update with a long chapter…I'M SORRY!

Ceridwen Inari: Well, I'm glad somebody agrees with Ginta and Jack! (Happy face with sparkles and bunnies)

Maverick no Knight: Well…the story will reveal all!

MarHeavenAngel: YAY FOR SURVIVAL!

EvilBoyzR2Cute: Well, thank you for reviewing, and I hope I'll narrow down the choices eventually…

animechick96: Eh, no, I'm not dead…I think that being on break from school has turned my break to mush…I'm sorry!

---------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss and Phantom?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

------------------------

Disclaimer: Phantom – Please tell me you're not actually considering that new reader's idea.

Cookie – (looking over plans entitled "Turning Phantom Chibi") Hmm? I'm sorry, did you say something?

Phantom – You do even own me! You can't control me!

Cookie – Oh yea! (Types something on computer)

Phantom – Wha—(turns into a kindergartner)

Cookie – MWHAHAHAHAHA! I may not own MÄR, but as an author, I have complete controllllllllllllllllllll! 

Amy – _Why did I get created by her?_

-------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

---------------------------

Well, welcome to my story for those new readers, and welcome back to my old readers! Ginta kind of reminds of Kyle from Tales of Destiny 2…Enjoy!

Chapter 19: New meetings and old stories!

_Recap:_

"_HE TRIED TO HIT US WITH ROCKS!"_

"_The trauma, the trauma…"_

"…_what kind of training did you two go through?"_

"_AUGH!"_

_CRASH!_

"_OMG, Jack! Are you okay!"_

"_We'd rather not talk about it."_

_: End Recap_

After Ginta and Amy revived Jack, they went down to the courtyard, where people were clustered around the Princess' balcony. Nanashi spotted them and waved cheerfully. "Hey, Amy! Glad to see you're feeling better!" Amy smiled and then frowned in puzzlement. 

"Why is everyone hanging around the Princess' balcony?"

Snow spoke up, "Pozun wanted to decide the location and number of fighters for the next fight, and we asked him to wait until you came down." Amy shot a glare at the lizard, which cowered in fright and frighteningly asked, "Um…H-hime-sama? If you would be so kind as to…?"

The Princess dropped the two dice. They clattered and fell to their sides before staying still.

"5 versus 5 at the Volcano Field!"

Amy groaned in disgust as she imagined the heat. _Good thing I'm not going._ Ginta assumed this dopey look on his face as he imagined a volcano going off, while Babbo bluntly said he didn't care and asked for alcohol.

"Excuse me."

Amy turned to see a tall, young boy (?) with long blond hair that had braids in it. He wore a light blue long-sleeved shirt that had a feather-covered right shoulder and kind ruby eyes. He stuttered, "Th-that was a wonderful fight! I-, I look forward to, to-, tomorrow…"

"…Who're you?"

This simple question from Jack seemed to send the poor boy (?) into a panic attack. "Wa-Waah! I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you my name! I-, I'm sorry!" 

After smacking Jack upside the head, Amy kindly smiled at him (?). "It's okay, you don't have to apologize. What's your name?"

He (?) scratched his head nervously and smiled. "I-, I am Rolan of the Chess no Koma. I-, I am scheduled to fight tomorrow so I thought I'd introduce myself…"

…

…

…

"YOU'RE A CHESS PIECE!"

"YOU'RE A GUY!" 

…

…

…

Amy laughed nervously and twiddled her fingers. "Let's just pretend I never said that…"

Snow was staring at him with a dripping nose as she mused, "What? But he doesn't look like a bad guy…" Ed stared at the girl out of the corner of his eyes. "I guess even the Chess have men like that…and your nose is dripping, Hime-sama." Rolan then took off, chuckling nervously. "We-, well then, excuse me!"

…

Amy noticed that Loco was staring after the shy Chess Piece, and then she turned to look at him. 

_I get the feeling…he won't be so easy to take care of._

----------------------------

Later that night:

A huge bonfire had been set up in the courtyard and men were sitting around it, eating, drinking, and chatting merrily with their comrades. Ginta was stuffing his face with a chicken leg as he grinned openly. "Heeeh, so Snow, Dorothy, and Amy won! Wow!"

Babbo stared at Nanashi, who was hugging a girl around the shoulders. "In other words, **you **lost. Stop playing with the ladies!" Nanashi snarled at him, "Shut up ball-boy!"

Men then inserted their comments into the conversation.

"He lost, but it was an awesome fight!"

"Right! That Lightning was just a bit off!"

A tubby man holding an overflowing glass chimed in, "Nothing less from the Boss of Luberia, Chappu!" A little boy standing next to him nodded his head energetically. "Right, Mokku-sama!" A man with slanted eyes cheered, "Way to go, Boss!" while two others (A skinny guy with a bandanna and a porky guy) echoed the praise. 

These were the people who had stolen Babbo and nearly suffocated Amy.

…

…

…

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH, YOU!" (Ginta, the ever intelligent one)

Mokku tutted, "Now, now Ginta-kun! The past is just water under the bridge, right?"

"As if!" (Ginta…again)

"But…we were really surprised, Ginta-kun!" The comment was made as Nanashi got up to chat with the two ladies he had under each arm. "We never thought that Babbo was an ÄRM that could be used to fight evenly with the Chess!" One of the men scratched their cheek as though slightly embarrassed. "I know it seems weird for us to ask, Ginta. But the people from Luberia who died were our comrades…please look after the Boss!"

"The Boss really is a great man. Don't let him die."

A little ways away, Gaira was observing the people around him as Jack was calmly eating. The old Cross Guard member chuckled lightly. "This brings back memories." Jack swallowed his food and questioned, "Like what, Gaira-san?"

"6 years ago during the First War Game…Just like this, after a victory, we would sit by the fire and laugh."

Alviss smiled fondly as he recalled, "I remember that." Several other men shouted gleefully in agreement, before Gaira continued with his story.

"Back then…Danna-san would always say 'I come from a different world'…and he told us all about his home! They would be about his wife who wrote books…"

"And stories about his kid."

At this, Ginta stared rather lifelessly at Gaira, but the old man paid no heed. The people around them began to murmur fond memories.

"He was fun…and kind."

"Yeah, he was our hope."

"'We can't let the bad guys win!' he said."

"'We'll beat them for sure!' He was always like that…"

"If only Danna-san was here now…we lost someone special…"

Jack looked fearfully at Ginta, but Ginta's expression was masked by his hair. 

"Of course, Danna isn't the only one we lost."

Ginta looked up at this remark, for Gaira seemed seriously disheartened.

"There was also…Adrian. He was too young to fight, as Alviss was, but he was special…he had gifts and talent…he would have made an excellent fighter when he got older."

The men's expressions turned melancholy, and Alviss was staring at the ground.

"He would always tell us stories as well…he would tell us of his sister, who was waiting for him back home, because they had no parents. He never mentioned her name, but from the way he described her, she was a caring, shy, young girl."

"I remember when Danna got up one night in the middle of Adrian's story."

_Flashback:_

"_Hey, Adrian! You and your sister live all alone, right?"_

"_Um…yeah."_

"_Well, when this whole mess is over with, why don't you and your sister come back and live with me and my family?"_

"_Y-you mean it!"_

"_Of course! My kid's a little younger than you are, but I'm sure he'd like a new brother and sister!"_

_: End Flashback_

"Of course…we never got to meet his sister…and the poor boy never got that home that Danna-san promised…"

There was almost dead silence, and a man whispered, "I wonder if Adrian's sister is still alive? It would have been nice to meet her…"

"Babbo!"

Babbo, who was particularly red-faced from downing his alcoholic beverage, squeaked in reply. Faster than you could blink, Ginta snatched the beer and began drinking quickly.

"Ooh Ginta! Good form!"

"Chug it down!"

Finally, the cup slammed down against the floor. The whooping bystanders were stunned into silence by Ginta's deafening yell.

"I'LL PROTECT THIS WORLD! GOT IT! WE'LL WIN! I'LL FIND ADRIAN'S SISTER!"

Ginta pointed at himself and smiled in determination.

"This is coming from Danna's son. Trust me!"

The men stared at Ginta in disbelief.

"Se-seriously!"

Suddenly, Ginta hiccupped and toppled over. Babbo stared at the passed out teen. "Ah, he's down! I knew kids shouldn't drink!"

Snow sucked her finger dreamily with a dazed look on her flushed face. "You shouldn't treat kids dif'rent." 

"WHO THE HEY GAVE HER ALCOHOL AGAIN!" (Ed.)

"D-dat's right! You tell 'em, Snow!"

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the reason that Amy wasn't involved in the conversation beforehand was because…she was getting drunk with Snow. She giggled, flopped over onto her back and then began snoring loudly.

A young man rushed over to Gaira frantically. "Gaira-san, what he just said…" Gaira then 'hmphed' and interrupted the poor person. 

"Remember this face well. There is no doubt that this is Danna's son!"

"This is our new hope!"

Amidst the awed people, their 'new hope' was snoring, dreaming of his goals which he promised to accomplish, unaware that one of his goals was a few feet away, sleeping and dead drunk.

* * *

Well, I'm so sorry I've put off putting up this chapter…I'M SO SORRY! Thankee-sankee so much for waiting so long and putting up with this lazy bum of an author!


	20. New Rules are stupid

ZOMG, its chapter 20!! (Squeals excitedly) Thanks to everyone that stuck around for this long, putting up with my laziness and problems…but mostly laziness. THANKEE-SANKEE!!

--

Airheaded Evilness: Well, this is a first. I never heard of anyone that didn't like him…I got the feeling that most of my reviewers liked him…well, the minority is awesome!! There are some times I don't like Phantom either…Thanks for your opinion!

xWeaselxWolfx: Well, there's this website called Veoh (dot) com that has a good deal of videos…but other than that, I don't know any others. I want to try to keep the story as authentic as possible, such as: same story line, same character fights…but there are times that I'll change things around to keep it original. As for your question, Rolan is still scheduled to fight Alviss.

animechick96: Eh, I don't really mind about that comment. I know I've been slacking off, and I apologize for that. Thank you for your compliment!! I really tried to intertwine my OC with the main storyline.

MarHeavenAngel: I'm so happy that you like my story!! BIG HUG!! (Sparklies appear magically)

Phantom'sAngel89: I LIVE!! (glomp) I UPDATED!! (glomp) I'M UPDATING AGAIN!! (glomp) YAY FOR CHIBIS!! (glomps Chibi Phantom) Phantom – "I…can't…breathe!!"

Ceridwen Inari: SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!! (insert happy face here)

Maverick no Knight: As long as you're reading one of my stories, I'll make sure to abuse the announcers…they really get on my nerves…I hope you enjoy the fight scene!!

--

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss and Phantom?

--

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--

Disclaimer: (ENTER Cookie and Amy)

Cookie – You know, Amy, you never apologized to Snow for slapping her across the face, or pranked Dorothy back after what she did to you.

Amy – And whose fault is that?

Cookie – I dunno…

(ENTER Snow)

Amy – I'm really sorry, Yuki-hime-chan!!

Snow – Aww…it's okay Amy-chan!!

(The two hug and many sparkles ensue)

Cookie – Why is the disclaimer written as stage directions?

Amy – Because you can do basically do whatever you want, even though you don't own MÄR or any of its characters, weapons or places. You do own me however, and the inspiration for most of my ÄRMs come from other animes and video games.

Cookie – Oh…

--

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

--

Just in case you didn't know, I have an "Update Corner" on my profile at the top…I usually put how the story is going and such. Enjoy this chapter!!

Chapter 20: New rules are stupid

_Recap:_

"_I'LL PROTECT THIS WORLD! GOT IT! WE'LL WIN! I'LL FIND ADRIAN'S SISTER!"_

_Ginta pointed at himself and smiled in determination._

"_This is coming from Danna's son. Trust me!"_

_Amidst the awed people, their 'new hope' was snoring, dreaming of his goals which he promised to accomplish, unaware that one of his goals was a few feet away, sleeping and dead drunk._

_: End recap._

Birds flew through the air past the tower of Reginrave Castle. The sky was a blinding shade of blue, was cloudless, and was nicely sunny.

The perfect day for a War Game.

Pozun had that eerie little smile on his face as he waddled towards Team MÄR. "Now, before we start the Third Battle, can you show me MÄR's 5 representatives?"

Alviss, Ginta, Jack, and Snow took affirmative steps forward the small lizard.

A man blinked in surprise before remarking, "So those are the members this time!" Another person then pointed out, "But there's only 4. Dorothy, Amy, and Nanashi aren't going?"

Dorothy winked slyly at the man before cheerfully replying, "I'm not really in the mood today." Nanashi had his back turned in the other direction and an arm slung casually over the shoulder of a pretty young woman. "Today was made for lovin'!!" Amy yawned sleepily before leaning against a pillar. "I fought in the first two, in case you don't remember…now lemme sleep." Amy then paused. _That's right…I almost forgot. _She turned towards the sly witch.

"Dorothy…did you pick up Jirou's ÄRM?"

The sorceress blinked, her gaze softened, and then took the ÄRM out of a pouch. She then passed it to Amy, who tucked the Dream Catcher into a small pocket in her sweater.

_I'll make sure no one ever uses this ÄRM again…and, thank you for the message…_

A tiny throat clearing caught the people's attention. Bell flitted in the air, facing the castle's entrance. "No need to worry. We have one more fighter!"

She then dramatically pointed towards the entrance. "Come out, number 5!!"

A shadow emerged and began making its way towards the sunlight.

The shadow turned out to be a tall, burly man was puffing at a cigar and was walking towards the crowd with a smile that clearly said "I'm gonna kick your butts". He greeted, "Good morning, Gentlemen."

Pozun's eyes widened comically and he drew a sharp intake of breath. Gaira and the other Cross Guard members stared in disbelief and began to stutter.

"**Al-Alan?!"**

Disbelieving, shocked, and joyful cries rose up throughout the crowd.

"It's Alan!!"

"Danna's partner in the last War Game!!"

"So he's still alive?!"

"W-wow…then MÄR had a hidden weapon!"

Ginta grinned toothily at Alan, before teasingly saying, "You slept too long Ossan!" Alan crossed his arms and sent a grumpy look Ginta's way. "Send all complaints to the insomniac dog!!" Amy sleepily murmured, "I like Ed…" She then smiled happily. "It's nice to see you again, Alan-san." Calmed again, Alan half-smiled at the sitting girl. "It's good to see you too, Amy."

Gaira shakily stepped towards Alan. "Is that really you Alan?" Alan turned towards the older man and greeted him, "Yo, Gaira-jiisan! But call me Ed from now on." Gaira closed his eyes in shame as he recounted the entrance test. "I'm sorry…I failed the entrance test for the games and can't even fight in the battles!"

"Correct. And the same can be said for you."

Alan glanced over his shoulder to see Pozun, still sweating nervously, but with a slightly self re-assured smile on his face. "You never took the test. Proving yourself in the last game isn't enough to—"

Pozun broke off when he saw Alan sending a smoldering glare out of the corner of his eye elsewhere.

"Oi, Tomato!!"

At the top of Reginrave Castle, stood one of the famed Knights of the Chess no Koma, the ever-dreaded Halloween. He was peering down at the crowd with a smirk etched onto his pumpkin head, and his chain glistened in the sunlight.

Amy frowned, all sleepiness vanishing. _When he'd get there? And what does he want anyway?_

Alan's face had a dark, evil look to it as he began to speak with the Knight. "6 years ago, it ended in a draw. So, how about we continue from there?"

Halloween was silent for a moment before barking, "Pozun!" The lizard referee jumped about 5 feet back and stuttered, "Yes, Halloween-sama!!" The pumpkin's face began to grin maniacally. "I just received a message from Phantom. And it just happens to match my opinion!!"

"_**Alan has special permission to participate in this War Game!!"**_

Alan's face had a quiet triumph etched into it, as if he expected that to happen. The Cross Guard men then began screaming questions up at the daunting figure.

"Th-then, Gaira-san can too…!!"

Halloween smirked. "Phantom had something to say about that too," he broke off to chuckle cruelly before quoting the Head Knight's exact words. "'We have no use for the old man'!!"

Gaira's shocked expression quickly turned to one of embarrassment, and, seeing this, Jack rushed over to him. "Don't get down Gaira-san! I mean, you even helped to train us!" He then turned to Ginta. "Let's show him what we learned Ginta!!" The young captain didn't verbally reply, but he gave a confident smile and a thumbs up.

Pozun then quickly raised his hand and waved it. "Then these five, to the Volcano Field!!"

"Andarta!!"

A flash blinded everyone for a moment, and then they were gone. Dorothy looked at the place they were previously in for a moment and a smile came to her lips. "This looks like it will be entertaining, ne, Amy-chan?" When she didn't receive an answer, she huffed angrily. "Honestly, you have the nerve to fall asleep while I'm talking—"

She paused, for Amy wasn't sleeping.

"Amy…where did you go?"

--

Intermission

Jack – What is it with you and stopping at the climaxes?!

Cookie – I thought it makes for better suspense!

Ginta – Will I get more screentime now?

Phantom – More importantly…WILL YOU TURN ME BACK TO NORMAL?!

Cookie – I dunno, will I? Or can I?

Phantom – Whaddya mean, "Can I,"?!

Cookie – INTERMISSION OVER!!

--

"WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE?!"

The recently missing teen was in fact on the Volcano Field with the others. Team MÄR was staring at her, also trying to figure out why she was with them. She was currently throttling the referee, and had been doing that ever since she saw that she had been transported from her cozy pillar spot in Reginrave Courtyard and had landed in a heap on hot, volcanic ash.

Oh yes, she was severely _pissed_.

Pozun (trying to speak in between being throttled and shaked back and forth) gasped, "I…don't…know….why….you're…here…let…go…" Amy let go of him for the moment, crossed her arms, and pursed her lips in thought. _Why the heck am I here? I believe I already asked that and I didn't get an answer._

POP!

Amy jumped a little as a letter fluttered onto her lap. It had the Chess no Koma insignia on it, and was addressed to her. She tore it open and shook out the letter as she began to read it out loud.

_Dear Amy-chan,_

_Due to the vast amount of amusement that you provide for me and the other Chess no Koma, we have decided to invoke a special rule, just for you!! From here on out, even if you're not fighting, you will be transported to the fighting field along with the others. Please do not fail to offer the hilarious reactions that you usually give._

_Sincerely, Phantom of the Chess no Koma_

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .twitch.

"WHAT THE HECK?! I'VE BEEN THEIR SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT?!" A gasp is heard. "Oh crap! I'm giving them what they want!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

A wail of agony is heard from a certain teen.

"PHANTOM, I HATE YOU!!"

Well….that was interesting to write…I hope you enjoyed it!! Thanks for all of your support!! Without you guys, I would have never made it to Chapter 20!! Thankee-sankee!! (bows)


	21. Fiery battles and passionate anger

* * *

I can't believe I have over 4000 views, 13 favorites and 95 reviews!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

--

Airheaded Evilness: YAY! I made somebody laugh!!

Phantom'sAngel89: HOORAY FOR GLOMPS!!

Maverick no Knight: The Chess probably have a rulebook filled with a whole bunch of random rules, like: "Don't ever wear brown shirts with green shoes" and stuff like that. And unfortunately, yes, Phantom did say "we have no use for that old man".

animechick96: You're lucky…I didn't get out of school until June 5th…

MarHeavenAngel: Well, thank you for reading! (And I'm pretty sure I PMed you already with my answer.)

xWeaselxWolfx: I'm glad that you thought the chapter was funny, and I'd love to read your story once you put it on the website!

--

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss and Phantom?

--

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--

Disclaimer: Cookie – HOORAY FOR SUMMER!!

Amy – MORE WRITING!

Ginta – MORE SLEEP!!

Jack – More chapters about a story with concepts that don't belong to her!!

Cookie - …WHACK!

Jack – AUGH! THE PAIN!!

--

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

--

Well, here is the next chapter!! Enjoy!!

Chapter 21: Fiery battles and passionate anger

_Recap: _

_Dear Amy-chan,_

_Due to the vast amount of amusement that you provide for me and the other Chess no Koma, we have decided to invoke a special rule, just for you!! From here on out, even if you're not fighting, you will be transported to the fighting field along with the others. Please do not fail to offer the hilarious reactions that you usually give._

_Sincerely, Phantom of the Chess no Koma_

"_WHAT THE HECK?! I'VE BEEN THEIR SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT?!" A gasp is heard. "Oh crap! I'm giving them what they want!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"_

_A wail of agony is heard from a certain teen. _

"_PHANTOM, I HATE YOU!!"_

_: End Recap_

"I'll kill him…I'll kill him dead….like with a rock or something…" Team MÄR could only stare blankly at Amy, who was sitting down in her 'corner of emo-ness' muttering things about 'revenge' and 'rocks' and 'reactions' over and over to herself. Ginta was looking around the battleground in amazement and admiring the volcanoes.

Jack turned towards the referee and asked hesitantly, "Say…would you die if you fell in?"

"Probably."

"…Figured as much…"

Snow then piped up, "Um…where are the Chess fighters?" Pozun sheepishly looked down. "Well, that is, one of them...one of them overslept."

…

…

…

"BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Ginta erupted into loud laughter. "OVERSLEPT?! THE CHESS OVERSLEPT!!" Snow thoughtfully mused, "So he's kinda like Ed…" Amy didn't comment, seeing as how she was still being emo.

"Ah! Here they come!"

Four figures then materialized across the field. They were:

A man with Arabian-style outfit, complete with curled-toed shoes, baggy pants, arm bangles, and a white turban with a red jewel. He had on eye makeup that made it seem liquid was leaking from his eyes and a crescent moon pendent on;

A clown-faced, star-eyed man with a white suit, large red bow-tie, white top hat and a staff in the shape of a griffin;

A straight-haired man with a large hat on, and was dressed in a sailor style, specifically as a captain;

And the girl from the first fight, Pano.

They were staring down Team MÄR…

"It seems the Chess have forgotten how to count." Amy murmured dryly. "There are only four of you."

Pano then pointed to a nearby crater where legs were poking out. "He landed in a hole."

Cue face faults.

The remaining Chess member then straightened themselves out and began to carefully make their way down from the crater. "I-I've shown you something disgraceful…A-and I even slept late."

Amy's eyes widened dramatically when she looked up at the person.

"I-I was thinking about today's fight so much that I couldn't sleep…G-good luck to both of us today."

The beaming face of Rolan greeted the stunned teammates.

Snow had this 'I'm so dang confused' look while Ginta had a 'what the heck' expression on. (AN: For lack of better descriptions…)

"It's that weird guy!" (Ginta)

"Hmm…he just doesn't look mean." (Snow)

_It's the guy that looks a girl!! _(Amy…thinking)

Amy then paused when she heard Alviss and Alan quietly whispering to each other. Alan, lightly scratching his chin, quietly asked, "Remember him, Alviss?" Alviss stared at the Chess member as he responded, "Yes…he was here 6 years ago. But back then, he was around the Rook class…

But now…he's risen to Knight!"

Amy shuddered slightly as she caught a sight of the earring the young man wore. _So even innocent looking people like this are Knights…not only that, I think I've seen him somewhere before…_

"Alviss…you fought with him back when the Chess first attacked several weeks ago, right??"

Amy snapped her attention back to Alan and Alviss's conversation. Alviss nodded quietly, not going into details of the battle. Alan stared at him, probing for an answer. Alviss then, with as little motion as possible, made a tiny jerking motion over to the eavesdropping bystander. Alan turned and sent a heated look over to her.

Amy grinned cheekily and then turned towards the battlefield.

Alan sighed in exasperation. "Back then, he was a know-nothing brat about the same level as you, Alviss. I guess times change, huh?" The man then took a step forward.

He quickly produced a cracking from his fingers simply by moving them. He sent a small smirk forward.

"Well, I guess I'll start things off."

--

INTERMISSION

Cookie – Please use this time to stretch, get snacks and refreshments, and use the facilities!

Alviss - …You do realize that this isn't a movie, right?

Cookie – QUIET YOU…and how did you turn back to normal?

Alviss – I guess it just wore off.

Amy – Well…if the Intermission is here, then doesn't this mean the chapter is half over?

Cookie - …Not necessarily.

Amy – Oh, okay….wait, what?!

Cookie – Back to the show!

--

Ginta stared in surprise mixed with slight admiration at the war veteran. "Oi, you're full of spirit, huh?!"

Alan held a freshly lit cigar between two fingers as he snapped at Ginta, "Of course I am! How long do you think I sat in that darn dog?!"

He then sent a beady-eyed glare over to the Chess no Koma. "Hey Mister Knight! You won't be playing with me, right?"

"So send me whoever you want."

Pano and the captain-looking guy broke out into a sweat, Rolan gulped nervously, while the clown-faced guy...kept the exact same expression.

_Maybe Clown Face's face is broken…_ (AN: Three guesses who said this…)

"All of you are scared?! God, I work with idiots!" These remarks came from the Arabian man, who was smirking confidently. "I'll beat this clod in a second!"

He then stared at Rolan. "And Rolan…when you're downgraded, I'll move two spaces up from Rook to Knight!"

Rolan laughed nervously, "Oh well…if it happens, it happens. Good luck, Alibaba!"

The captain-looking guy's expression clearly screamed what he was thinking: "You are a moron and I pity you."

Pano waved at Alibaba. "I'll pass on this one. Have fun Alibaba!"

Clown Face remained stationary as always.

_Seems the Chess is full of arrogant people with no sense of teamwork and no common sense. Boy, do I feel sorry for that Alibaba guy._

"What was that?!"

Oops…it seems Amy got tired of thinking and said that thought out loud. Her eyes widened in shock over what she just did and Alibaba was staring at her furiously.

…

…

"I SAID NOTHING!!" Amy screamed dramatically as she whipped out duct tape and then taped her mouth shut.

Team MÄR stared in exasperation while the Chess were sweatdropping at the girl's strange behavior.

Having got over that strange little outburst, Alibaba then made his way down to the field. He cackled madly, "I bet when I kill you, even Halloween will look up to me."

Alan smiled as he placed his cigar between his lips. "You've got some ambition for a greenhorn. I'll give you points for courage."

_Cross Guard_

_Ed (Alan)_

Pozun waved his hand hurriedly. "First Fight of the Third Battle…

BEGIN!!"

Alibaba then quickly called out an ÄRM.

"Guardian ÄRM, Genie's Lamp!"

A golden lamp with a ruby on the side materialized into his left hand.

_Chess no Koma_

_Alibaba_

_CLASS: Rook_

He then pointed it threateningly at Alan, with that same leering look on his face. "Let me tell you something, Legendary Man Alan-san!" His voice gained a mocking tone as he said his opponent's name.

"Don't look down on me because of my rank!" He then shot off into an explanation of how the Chess ranks worked.

"The Chess operates through a class hierarchy! But that rank doesn't measure 'strength'! There are Rooks stronger than Bishops and there are worthless Knights like Rolan! You rise through your mastery of ÄRMs and also through impressive victories! For example, Loco defeating that man named Nanashi—ARGH! Who threw that rock at me?!"

Amy deadpanned as she held up a large sign that read:

- Nanashi kind of let Loco win, so it's because of us that you guys are rising higher and higher! -

Amy then sent as big of a grin as she could manage with her mouth duct-taped shut.

Alibaba simmered angrily as he read the 'informative' sign that the girl held up. "As soon as I kill this guy right here…you're next!"

Amy brought down the sign, quickly scribbled something on the other sign, and resumed holding up. This time, it read:

- Oooooooooh…I'm shaking in fear already. -

"ARGH, SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Sign went down, erase, scribble, and back up again.

- I'm not even talking! -

"ARGH!"

Alan sent a glare over at the girl. "Could this wait until **after **I finish?!"

Down, scribble, up again.

- Sorry! -

"Much better."

Alibaba then began rubbing the lamp as he finished speaking, "And this ÄRM…this is the ÄRM that will gain me impressive victories!"

"Come forth Spirit of the Lamp!"

A giant, burly green-skinned genie burst out from the lamp and crossed his arms menacingly. He had on giant gold earrings and bangles, a top-knot hairstyle, a beard that split into two, and where his legs should be there was curling smoke.

"He's attuned to my sixth sense like no other ÄRM! Even a knight would have a hard time with Solomon and me!" Solomon bared his teeth as a dog would at Alan.

Alibaba smirked, "Now do you see? I'm going to—"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Alan had his arms crossed and a bored look on his face. His cigar smoke rose slowly into the air.

"Come on."

Snow began to wave her arms up and down frantically. "D-don't do that Ed!! If you get like that, you'll lose just like Nanashi-san!!"

_Ooh, I am detecting some pissed energy…_ (Amy...again)

Jack shuddered slightly as he stared up at the Guardian. "Th-that genie really does look strong…"

"No…"

Alviss stared at the daunting figure that was Alan. "None of you understand…

That man is frightening!"

Alibaba gave an open-mouthed smirk as he yelled at his opponent.

"_**Now die!"**_

Solomon the genie rushed towards Alan at alarming speed, moving in for the kill.

"Geez…"

Alan finally uncrossed his arms as he punched the genie head on. The ÄRM exploded into oblivion and Alan didn't even look ruffled by the explosion. He calmly held his cigar in his right hand and didn't even turn to look at the Guardian he just destroyed with a single hit.

Alibaba squeaked in fear as his face grew pale. As Alan stepped towards him, he instinctively stepped backwards. He squeaked questions of 'how' and 'what' at the man who single-handedly destroyed his ÄRM before Alan punched him square in the gut. As Alibaba landed on the ground, Alan grabbed the back of his shirt. Alibaba let loose a squeal of fright as Alan began to speak and drag him at the same time.

"Three total. You made three mistakes. Number one: To complete synchronize with your ÄRM, time is required. Concentration, the sixth sense, and magic are raised through training. And synchronizing with a guardian possessing its own will requires even more training!"

Alan smirked slightly, "Sending him to attack from the very beginning proves you are an idiot."

Alan finally reached where he was dragging the still squealing Alibaba…the top of a volcano.

"Number two: You weren't quite ready to fight me."

Alibaba then screamed, "I know, I know! I know, so stop! Stop—"

His pleas fell along with him as he was tossed into the open mouth of the volcano.

As he fell towards the steaming lava, Alan finally told him his third mistake.

"Number three: **Be careful who you disrespect, ya little brat.**"

--

INTERMISSION

Jack – Why do you have two Intermissions?!

Cookie – Cause I'm planning on making this chapter realllllllly long!!

Amy - …

Ginta - …

Babbo – Why are we wasting time just standing around?

Cookie – Back to the chapter!!

--

Pozun looked frantic as he quickly called the winner. "The first match is won by Alan!" Ginta, Jack, Snow, Alviss, and Amy rushed forward to congratulate him.

"That was sweet Ossan! You beat the genie in one hit!" (Ginta)

"Against crap magic like that, it was as easy as popping a balloon." (Alan)

"Mmmmm mmm!" (Amy)

…

…

"Mm? Mm, mmm mmm."

RIP!

"AUGH! MY SKIN!!"

…

Amy straightened out, coughing into her fist. "Anyway…I was trying congratulations, Alan!" She then rubbed the red skin around her mouth in irritation.

Babbo stared seriously into Alan's eyes as if he was about say something incredibly important. "Starting today, you shall not sleep. That is my decree."

Alan irritably snapped at the talking ÄRM, "As if, you mustached super ball!"

Snow looked over at the other team in seriousness. "Now…four left."

Pano then stepped forward, giant ball staff in hand. "I didn't think Alibaba would do any good." She pointed at herself in affirmation. "I'll be going next."

Ginta turned to Alviss and Amy in confusion. "Huh? Didn't we beat her team like a few days ago?" Alviss stared at Ginta with the 'you moron' look, "I knew it! You're an idiot. You completely missed the point of the rules." Amy then proceeded to explain to the confused boy, "Even if the team as a whole loses, any single fighter that won their match has the right to move on to another team later on!"

Pano stared at the ground in deep thought before raising her weapon and pointing it at the other team and crying out, "Now who'll fight me?!"

Jack brandished his shovel ÄRM and grit his teeth, "I'll do the honors!"

Babbo stared at Jack in dumbfounded amazement while Snow surprisingly called his name. Pano smirked at the young teen. "Eeeeh, you? But you lost to me last time. Step aside and let one of the men play with me."

Jack smirked darkly at the young Chess woman. "Are you scared of me?" Pano stared in surprise before Ginta called, "Oi, you!" Ginta had a confident smile as he stared at Pano. "You shouldn't think Jack's like he used to be." Pano looked at Ginta for a second more before agreeing. "Fine. I'll fight you. And this time, you'll die." Jack said nothing, but merely got into battle position.

_MÄR_

_Jack_

_Chess no Koma_

_Pano_

_CLASS: Rook_

"Match 2: Jack vs. Pano!!

BEGIN!!"

* * *

Well, that's all for this chapter! Sorry I took so long and cut it off at a critical point, but I wanted to post this chapter as quickly as possible. Thankee-sankee for reading, waiting, and reviewing!! See you next chapter!


	22. Battles of the shocking sort

5000 hits, 17 Favorites, 13 Alerts and 100 reviews…THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

--

Airheaded Evilness: Cookie2718, fanfiction writer. Pleasing people and cats of all ages. )

Maverick no Knight: I don't necessarily think that Amy hates Phantom himself…she just hates that he's messing with her and she's letting him. And as soon as I finished the chapter, I remembered, "Oh, the sign thing is like that thing from Ranma ½…"

MarHeavenAngel: Amy took lessons in "The corner of emo-ness" from Tamaki Suoh (Ouran High School Host Club). XP

xWeaselxWolfx: Well, I try to keep the story as close to the manga as possible, also adding in a few things of my own…and if Mär-Heaven can have talking rocks, then why can't it have duct-tape?!

--

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss and Phantom?

--

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

--

Disclaimer: Cookie – I'M BACK!!

Babbo – Ew.

Cookie – What was that?

Babbo – Er, I mean…welcome back.

Cookie – That's what I thought you said.

Amy – Cookie2718 does not own MÄR or any of the concepts…even the things she thinks up have origins elsewhere, meaning this person is very unoriginal.

Cookie - …

--

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

--

I am sooo sorry I took so long to update…I ended up moving, changing schools, starting school…the works. I'm going to try to make a normal update schedule…  
--

Chapter 22: Battles of the Shocking sort

_Recap:_

_MÄR_

_Jack_

_Chess no Koma_

_Pano_

_CLASS: Rook_

"_Match 2: Jack vs. Pano!!_

_BEGIN!!"_

_: End Recap_

Pano leaped into the air, raised her weapon, and cried out, "Dokan!" The steel ball popped off the staff and began to accelerate and weave back and forth towards Jack. The Chess Piece watched in glee as Jack stood still, watching the ball's movements. As the ball finally came to strike him, he stopped it with his bare hand. Pano gasped as she witnessed her weapon being thwarted. Amy watched in mild interest as Jack smiled as a cool person would…

…and then doubled over clutching his throbbing hand. Amy began to laugh hysterically while Alan deadpanned, "Monkeys were never meant to look cool, fool!" (AN: No joking, this is how what Alan said was written! He sounds like a rapper…)

Jack managed to recover from his stupid mistake and slammed his shovel into the ground. "Now it's my turn!" Pano's eyes widened in horror as she recalled something. Amy turned to Alviss and curiously asked, "Did he do something like this in the last match?" Alviss nodded, "He used his Earth Beans to trap her in a beanstalk pillar." He then stared quizzically at her. "You should have seen that…if you were watching that is. If you have to ask, then obviously you went somewhere else. Where were you?" At this question, all of Team MÄR (excluding Jack) looked over at the two.

_Aw, crap, I forgot that I had gotten kidnapped then…I can't exactly tell them I got kidnapped by the Chess and then just came back…_

"Er…well, this little girl asked me to help her find her brother…and, um…what is Jack doing?"

Everyone turned to stare at the fighter. He left his shovel in the ground and was walking towards Pano…empty-handed. Snow was shocked, "He left it?! What're you doing, Jack?!" Pano pointed triumphantly at the boy. "You fool! Sorry, but I'll be taking two in a row!!"

The flying ball then split into 4 parts and began flying around rapidly and making quick motions. Jack calmly followed the parts with his eyes, moving the pupils only. He then ran toward Pano with his hands curled into fists. Pano smirked, "Just ignoring them and attacking me? You really are a fool." As the parts began to attack Jack, he managed to dodge one…two…three…he reached towards her…

…and then the fourth one hit him in his abdomen as he lunged towards the Chess Piece.

--

INTERMISSION

Cookie – Hey, Amy.

Amy – What?

Cookie – Who would you rather be paired up with, Phantom or Alviss?

Amy – WHAT?! W-why are you asking me that?!

Cookie – Well, I have to pick someone…unless you like someone else.

Amy – I DO NOT LIKE ANYONE!!

Cookie – But which of them would you _rather_ be with??

Amy – Um…Alviss, I guess…but only because I hate Phantom!!

Cookie – You only hate that he can trick you so easily.

Amy – I DO NOT! AND HE CAN'T TRICK ME!!

Cookie – You know what they say, 'De-nial' is more than a river.

Amy – SHUT UP!!

--

Pano smiled in assurance of her victory, "You were close." Jack grinned. "No…the plan succeeded!"

"What're you—ow."

She clutched her left arm as a sharp pain seemed to run through it. She then noticed the little bumps poking out of her skin. "These are…thorns?" Jack then shouted his command.

"Grow!"

The shovel that he placed in the ground earlier glowed and (to Pano's shock) mushrooms sprouted where the thorns previously were. "EYAHHHHHH!! WHAT IS THIS?!" Jack put a hand on his waist and smirked. "Magic Mushroom Type 1." Pano then began grabbing at the mushroom, trying to yank it off. "It-it-it won't come off!!" She stuttered. "This is too nasty!" She then gasped and looked ahead. She started to yell frantically.

"The volcanoes are erupting!!"

Amy quirked an eyebrow and stared at the volcanoes. "Um…no, they're not…unless…IT'S INVISIBLE LAVA?! OMG!!" She then began freaking out and running in circles. At the same time, Pano began waving her arms up and down and screaming like a banshee.

"She's hallucinating…" Snow stated.

Team MÄR and the Chess looked curiously at the young girl. Amy stopped freaking out to stare at her. _Wait, does that mean I was freaking out for nothing? Dangit!_ As Amy brooded, Snow proceeded to explain the mushroom. "I've seen that mushroom before! It's called Mararaidake!!" (AN: Pronounced MÄR-uh-Rye-Da-K!) Ginta turned to Alan, "Can you eat it?" Alan looked squeamish at the thought. "I guess you could, but it's poisonous. The poison has high hallucinogenic properties. When you're on a high, it feels like you're flying towards God. But when you hit a low…

"…it's like that." He pointed towards the Chess Piece who was twitching violently.

"Or it's like Amy when she was spazzing earlier."

"HEY!"

Then came the sound of something being thrown and hitting its target.

"WHY THE HECK DID YOU THROW A SIGNBOARD AT ME?"

"It was the only thing I had on me at the time!"

"You little brat! I ought to knock you back to the castle!!"

"You think I CHOSE to be here?!"

"…Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

Jack walked towards Pano. "I'm the only one capable of removing those mushrooms! Will you give up, Pano-san?" She gasped and stared at Jack like…

…he was the most handsome man alive.

"Please let me pull those out for you, Pano-san!"

She stared at him until hearts formed in her eyes and then glomped him. "Yes! I give up!" Jack blushed as she hung off of his neck.

Pozun waved his arm and declared, "Match two is over! MÄR Jack wins!"

As Jack walked back, Amy grinned. "Congratulations." Ginta cheered, "Way to go, Jack!" Snow jumped up and down excitedly. "I was wrong about you, Jack!" Jack smirked, "Hmph. Well, something like that…" Alan quickly shot him down. "Don't get so smug when all you did was plant some mushrooms, monkey boy!" Jack screamed, "This is my first win, so praise me!"

Snow quickly drew the attention by stepping forward and proclaiming, "Ok ok! Now it's my turn! Let's make it three in a row!"

* * *

Sorry it is not as long as it should be, but I really wanted to update again!! Thankee-sankee for waiting sooo patiently!!


	23. The Sailor vs The Princess

I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY!! School and life have just been so chaotic…but I'm glad to be back!!

-----------------------

W1LD CARD: Thank you for reading my story!! I'm always happy to hear that someone enjoys my story! Haha, your story is really funny. I didn't think anyone could act like Amy…

cyber500: Hmmm…a giant anvil….

9shadowcat9: I'm really surprised to hear how many people say that they act like Amy or how she acts like they do (Amy – It's because I'm awesome!!).

Phantom'sAngel89: Ranma's dad in panda form is my favorite character.

MarHeavenAngel: I love everybody too!! Thanks for the compliment.

xWeaselxWolfx: I think at first I had problems writing consistently, but now I've got the hang of it! I think.

Runelesca: So there ARE other mothers like mine…haha, I'm just kidding. Thanks for reviewing!

XxXTwilight-SinXxX: Eh? Oh, wait. I think I know what you're talking about. NEVER MIND.

Angelwithoutwings: I…I've never had somebody call me nee-sama before!! (Goes into shock)

------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss and Phantom?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

------------------------

Disclaimer: Cookie – I AM BACK!

Ginta – Wow, you were gone for a REALLY long time. What happened?

Cookie – Well, for one thing, I am now 16 (Applause, applause), my school performed Beauty and the Beast (which was a big success), and I had final exams.

Jack - …wow.

Cookie – I know! And now, I am writing a story about a story which doesn't belong to me!

Alviss – Because you love your readers, right?

Cookie – NO...yes.

Amy – Don't hide your feelings!!

Cookie – (sniff) I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! (Breaks down crying)

Alan – Oh boy. Not again.

------------------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

-----------------------------

I…AM…BACK!!! HOORAY!! I missed writing this story so much!! This chapter is dedicated to all the readers who waited patiently for me to update again…even though I didn't deserve it… (Sniff) ENJOY!!!

Chapter 23: The Sailor versus the Princess

_Recap:_

_Alan quickly shot him down. "Don't get so smug when all you did was plant some mushrooms, monkey boy!" Jack screamed, "This is my first win, so praise me!" _

_Snow quickly drew the attention by stepping forward and proclaiming, "Ok ok! Now it's my turn! Let's make it three in a row!"_

_: End Recap_

Amy stood and clapped Snow cheerfully on the shoulder. "You can do it! Let's go for a win!! I wonder who you'll be fight—""WHAT THE HECK?!" Amy turned to curiously look at the enemy. The Sailor captain was screaming at Rolan, who had his hand stretched out and a dopey smile on his face. From what Amy could see, neither Rolan nor Clown Face wanted to fight Snow. Why wouldn't they? I mean, unless they were afraid of being horribly beaten…"WE CAN HEAR YOU, YA KNOW!!"

Ah, Amy's horrible habit of thinking aloud was going to be the death of her someday.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, EL CAPITANO!!"

"DON'T LIE, YOU STUPID GIRL!!"

"SEXIST PIG!!"

CLANG!

Amy had lost her rather-already-lost temper and threw the Frying Pan ÄRM straight at the Captain person. He managed to dodge it, however, and it teleported back to Amy. Just as she was about to throw it again, a quick hand poked her in various places on her body, and she slumped to the ground, as if she was unable to move.

"Eh? Huh? ALVISS!!!"

The teen stared back at the now unable-to-move girl, who looked as if she had no bones in her body.

"What did you do to meeee??"

"Just pressed a couple of pressure points, that's all."

"Dangit! Why couldn't you have done it AFTER I beat the snot out of the guy?!"

"That kind of would have defeated the purpose."

"If I could move, then I…ARGH!! THE GROUND IS HOT!!"

The crazy teen began rolling around on the ground, apparently thinking this would solve the problem.

"FINE! I'll fight Snow-hime!"

The Captain stamped his wooden leg down in frustration. Both of the contenders stepped forward to begin the match.

_Chess no Koma_

_Mr. Hook_

_CLASS: Bishop_

_MÄR_

_Snow_

Pozun was about to begin the match when Snow yelled, "Hold on!" She then took off her white jacket and her long-sleeved shirt and stood in her camisole, looking much more comfortable. "And now, I'm ready!"

"Uoooh, sexy!" (Ginta)

"Take it off, take it off!" (Jack)

"YOU STUPID IDIOTS! IF I COULD MOVE MY ARMS, THEN I WOULD…DO SOMETHING LESS THAN PLEASANT!!" (I think you know who this is)

Snow looked irritated at the boy's comments, but continued to stand in place. And so:

"Third Match!

Begin!!"

Mr. Hook had an ominous look on his face as he clearly stated, "This fight will be over quickly!!" Then, Alan…

…agreed.

"True-"

"Snow can't win."

--------------------------

INTERMISSION

Cookie – (gasp) Alan! You're such a meanie-butt!!

Alan – Hey, it's true!!

Cookie – YOU'RE MEAN! I BANISH YOU FROM THIS SEGMENT!!

Alan – What?! You can't do that!

Cookie – Oh can't I? (_Crap, he's right._)

Alan – Er…anyway, it's outside of your jurisdiction.

Cookie – Okay, okay…

----------------------------------

Snow was visibly sweating while Mr. Hook seemed unfazed by the heat. He cracked his knuckles. "I'll finish this in 5 minutes, Snow-hime!" He then activated the ÄRM bracelet he wore.

"Screw Saber!"

A sword appeared in his hand, but instead of having a normal blade; it was in the shape of a screw. He then thrust it towards Snow and it lengthened. Snow then began her counter-attack. She activated her ÄRM ring: "Ice Ring!"

"Ice sword!"

A large piece of ice then formed a point on her left arm as she slashed away the Screw Saber. Ginta turned to Alan, offended by his earlier comment. "Hey, Snow's looking good! What's that 'she can't win' crap, Ossan?!" Alan smoked his cigar coolly, never taking his eyes off the battle in front of them. "You can't see what's right in front of you, huh?" Snow was breathing heavily while Mr. Hook stood, unfazed by her blocking attempt. He chuckled, "About 2 minutes left, right?" He smirked. "Are you feeling your limits?"

True enough, Snow's sword was beginning to melt. Her eyes were panicked as Mr. Hook lunged forward again. **"This battlefield is like your hell!" **

As she blocked, Amy and Alviss began to elaborate on what Alan had meant. "Snow's ÄRMs hold the attributes of 'Ice'. After fully synchronizing with such ÄRMs, high temperatures and flames weaken her." Alviss explained. "It's pretty basic." Amy then picked up where Alviss left off. "Being surrounded by all these volcanoes is harder on her than it is on the rest of us. And with that strain on her body and on her mind, it's even harder for her to use her ÄRMs. I hate to say this, but with her magic super low like this, she doesn't really have a chance."

Jack looked panicky as he fully grasped the situation. "So that's what he meant! This is bad, Ginta! We should hurry and have her give—""SNOW!" Ginta looked especially concerned as he pleaded, "That's enough. I'll take care of the rest." Snow looked at him before smiling gently. "I can still go on." Ginta looked angrily concerned as Amy yelled (from her still lying down position) "Snow! Don't be stupid! Your body can't handle this place!!" Snow ignored her as she began charging her ring. Amy gritted her teeth. _She's putting all her power into one attack!! There's no way that can be enough!!_

Mr. Hook began to charge forward, a maniacal look on his face. "One more minute!" Snow clutched her Snowman necklace and activated it, "Yuki-chan!" A giant Yuki-chan began to rush headfirst towards the charging Mr. Hook. He looked impressed instead of wary. "I'm impressed you could summon such a thing! However," He then began to activate an ÄRM ring he was wearing. "There's no reason I can't summon something better!!"

"ANGER ANCHOR!"

A giant anchor then fell from the sky and crushed Yuki-chan. Snow crumpled to her knees as this happened. Ginta screamed Snow's name worriedly. Amy looked shocked and attempted to stand, but still couldn't move due to being immobile. Alviss stepped into the arena. "The results are clear. Will you accept Snow's forfeit?" Mr. Hook looked solemn as he agreed, "I have no problem with that." Ginta rushed to Snow. "You ok, Snow?!" She managed to nod and said wearily, "Yeah, but I'm really tired…sorry…" She smiled up at Ginta. "But I didn't give up…right?" Ginta looked completely furious as himself, thinking back to a comment Amy remembered he had made.

_Flashback:_

"_Don't give up Snow!"_

_: End Flashback_

Alan came up behind Ginta and sternly said, "Have Snow withdraw from the war for a while! When she ran from Lestarva with me (the dog), there was never-ending fear and built-up fatigue. When she sealed herself up in ice, there was loneliness and despair. When she decided to fight, everything was spinning around in her head and her body was battered." Alan's gaze turned cold and reprimanding as he stared at Ginta. "And Ginta, even though you were with her the entire time, you never saw anything. She's still just a 14 year old girl." Snow was still sitting and Ginta's expression was hidden. Amy gently began speaking, "Just…for a while. Let her rest." He then began to help Snow up. "Can you stand up, Snow?" She nodded and he pulled her up, with her arm over his shoulder. Both were blushing lightly at the contact, but said nothing.

Pozun then declared loudly, "Chess no Koma, Mr. Hook, wins the Third Match!!"

Snow's eyes were downcast as she timidly asked, "Ginta…am I…holding you down?"

"Of course not!! You fought well!!"

In one swift motion, Ginta transferred Snow to his back. She eeped slightly, but didn't complain otherwise. He continued, "But…from now on, don't just never give up. Don't push yourself too hard either. If you died…Ed, Jack, Nanashi, Amy…everyone'd be sad."

"And so would I."

Snow's eyes shown with understanding as she consented. "Ok..."

"Um…not to ruin this beautiful moment, but…WILL SOMEBODY GET ME OFF THIS GROUND?! IT'S FREAKING HOT!!"

Out of all the battle participants, all that were left were, Rolan, Ginta, Alviss, and Clown-face.

Who would be next?

-------------------------

Well, that should be good for now!! I think I'm going to try a week-by-week update schedule. And for Christmas, I'll post a special story. Any categories in particular you guys would like? It will possibly be a romance, comedy, or mixture of both. Kind of like my D. Gray-man Christmas story. Please review and tell me if you would like anything, or I'll just choose a category and write about that. Thankee-sankee for everything!!


	24. Of Candles and Warnings

*wheeze* I'm.....finally.....back!!! *tears of joy and sparkly-ness....and joy-ness* I have come back from a journey of anime-discovery, which included Pandora Hearts, 07 Ghost, Hanasakeru Seishounen, and Hunter x Hunter!! Oh, and I found a place to save my stories.

---------------------------

All my reviewers and readers:

THANK YOU FOR WAITING!! I DON'T DESERVE YOUR LOYALTY!!! *sob*

-------------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss and Phantom?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

------------------------

Disclaimer: (An old western scene pops up, where Alan is facing the setting sun, and Ginta is staring sadly at him)

Ginta - Do you really have to go? Why can't you stay??

Alan - (Dramatically turns to face Ginta) I'm sorry....but (even more dramatically tips his hat) I put the "one" in "alone".

Ginta - ...

Alan - ...

Ginta - LAME!

Alan - SHUT UP!

(Scene shifts to reveal Cookie)

Cookie - Well, THAT had absolutely nothing to do with the disclaimer....you should all know it by now, anyway.

----------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

-----------------------------

Well, I finally think I'll be able to establish something of a normal update....maybe. In any case, I am definitely coming off this hiatus!! *strikes pose*

Chapter 24: Of Candles and Warnings

_Recap:_

_Pozun then declared loudly, "Chess no Koma, Mr. Hook, wins the Third Match!!"._

"_Um…not to ruin this beautiful moment, but…WILL SOMEBODY GET ME OFF THIS GROUND?! IT'S FREAKING HOT!!" _

_Out of all the battle participants, all that were left were, Rolan, Ginta, Alviss, and Clown-face._

_Who would be next?_

_: End Recap _

Hook swaggered back to his teammates, the epitome of confident victoriousness. He said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Easy victory." A certain teen (who was now propped against a rock seeing as how she STILL couldn't move) grumbled quietly under her breath, "If I ever see him again, then I'll show him an "easy victory"..." Snow laughed uncertainly as she sat next to Amy. The Chess no Koma were still conversing quietly amongst themselves, when Rolan turned to Clown-face. He talked rather nervously, most likely about who was going next. If Amy strained her ears, she could hear him asking "Kannochi-san? Who should go first?"

No reaction at all from Kannochi, as Rolan addressed him.

Rolan stared at him in apprehension, wondering why he wasn't responding.

He swayed....and toppled over with a yell. His teammates were watching wide-eyed as he picked himself off the ground (Expression: O.O). He looked both ways while adjusting his hat.

"Huh...where's Alibaba?"

Amy face-faulted, with her companions looking at her oddly. Snow looked concernedly at her. "What's wrong, Amy?" She struggled to regain her sitting position, explaining with a tone of exasperation. "That guy, I think they called him Kannochi...he's been asleep this entire time!" Alan cocked an eyebrow and looked down at her curiously. "And how would you know that, squirt?" _Er...I didn't they wouldn't believe me..._"Well...I....heard them?"

Silence reigned.

"Ok, sheesh, fine! Don't believe me! GOSH!"

The offended teen then turned to sulk in angsty silence. _Angst, angst, angst, angst..._

Everyone else turned to see the short Chess no Koma move to the center. Alviss commented, "The next fighter looks like it's going to be that weird little man. So they're leaving the Knight until the end..." He then addressed the team captain, "I'll handle the Knight. You go first, Ginta!"

Ginta looked toward him angrily, a vein mark appearing on the side of his head. "Yer orders tick me off!" Alviss was unaffected by the remark and said, "Don't forget, you're the captain, right? It's too dangerous to have you fight such a powerful opponent when you're as inexperienced as you are! No matter what, you alone must win, because a captain's loss means the team's loss."

Jack cheered, "We know you can do it, Captain!"

Alviss also called, "We're counting on you, Captain!"

Ginta's ear swelled from all the compliments and rushed towards the battlefield, Babbo in tow. Alviss couldn't help but murmur dryly, "Thank God he's an idiot.

Amy, wanting to get an encouraging word in, called from her sitting point with her hands cupped around her mouth, "You're awesome, Captain!"

...

...

...

"I CAN MOVE MY HANDS!! YAYYYYYYYYY!!!" She waved them excitedly in the air. "Too bad, Alviss! It looks like your fancy pressure-pointing is wearing off!"

...

...

...His movement towards her pressure points was blocked.

"OH NO, YOU DON'T! I like being able to move my arms!"

Kannochi leered (or rather, his mask-face-thing did) at Ginta as he approached. "So you're the one who beat Garon? Not bad."

_Kannochi _

_Chess no Koma _

_CLASS: Bishop _

Ginta didn't say anything, but had a determined grin on his face while Babbo wore a battle-ready expression.

_MÄR _

_Ginta _

_(Captain) _

Pozun then announced the fighters.

"CHESS NO KOMA, KANNOCHI!"

"MÄR, GINTA!"

"LET THE MATCH...BEGIN!"

Kannochi stretched out his left index finger and pointed it at Ginta, with a dark look upon his face.

**"DON."**

-----------------------------

INTERMISSION

Ginta - What the heck does "Don" mean??

Cookie - It's supposed to be like a bell sound. You know, like one of those big church bells??

Ginta - And why the heck did I have to do that stupid cowboy scene in the disclaimer?!

Cookie - Iunno. I just felt like putting you there. Have I ever told you that you remind me of Gon from "Hunter x Hunter"?

Ginta - ...

Cookie - Meh, I suppose not. I only just started it, anyway.

Amy - Ehehehehe...anyway, let's do that other skit you planned!

Ginta - WHAT?!

Skit:

(Two shadowy figures are seen making there way into a large mansion. They effortlessly break inside and find a safe. The taller one begins to unlock it.)

Shadowy Figure 1 (AKA the taller one AKA Alviss) - I almost have it--

Shadowy Figure 2 (AKA who else who do this?) - RAWRRRR!!

Alviss - What the--

(Shadowy Figure 2 goes running up to the safe and smashing an enormous hammer into it, apparently trying to break it open.)

Alviss - ...

: End Skit

Amy - ....what was that?!

Cookie - It was you and Alviss...inspired by Harley Quinn in this (http : / / .com/gothamgirls/play/files/sc2/Episode02 . s w f) [Remove spaces to access link]

Alviss - ....*twitch*.

Cookie - NO! DON'T HURT MEEEEEEEEEE!!

-----------------------------------

Ginta looked very confused before suddenly doing a quick search over his body. "...what...did you just do??"

Kannochi's top hat came off in a flourishing movement, as he answered, "You have just been cursed by the great Kannochi. I feel sorry for you already!" He then pointed again at Ginta, top hat in hand. Underneath the hat was a lit candle that looked as if it was just lit. "When this candle burns down to nothing,

**Your now candle body will follow in its fate!!**"

Team MÄR then proceeded to freak out over this revelation. Ginta had a mixed look of worry, fear, and astonishment (mostly worry); Jack had a bug-eyed, mouth-dropped appearance; Snow was clearly horrified over this action; and Amy was stunned and angry, but her lips were pursed tightly in an attempt to keep herself from saying something that would make the situation worse.

Alviss quickly yelled to him, "Destroy his ring, Ginta!! That's the Darkness ÄRM 'Body Candle'!!! Everything he said is true!!"

Before anyone could react, however, Kannochi had his ring off, popped it into his mouth, and swallowed.

Amy's only reaction was to whisper, "He...ate it??"

Kannochi then activated his cane to spout a large fire from the griffin mouth carved into it. "Now without further ado, You will disappear!!"

Ginta screamed, "I'LL BREAK IT INSIDE YOUR STOMACH!!! BABBO VERSION 1!!" As soon as Babbo turned into that large boxing glove on Ginta's hand, he rushed toward Kannochi. They then engaged in exchanging blows for a bit, and Kannochi looked incredulous at Ginta's speed. MÄR's Captain finally hit the Bishop squarely in the stomach and he went flying back. His mask-like face split into a full-toothed grin as he stated while attempting to regain his footing, "Such strength is no laughing matter!

This calls for a change in plans."

He then proceeded to aim his flaming staff directly at the candle at his head. With shocked eyes, Ginta watched as his body began to drip and melt...just as a candle would. Kannochi leered at his expression, "Let's turn up the heat...the faster it burns, the less time you have!!"

Amy's eyes were dark as she remembered aloud the details of the ÄRM. "The Darkness ÄRM 'Body Candle'...the candle on Kannochi's head could be thought of as Ginta himself. Ginta is basically a candle now...soon he will drip down to nothing." Alan swore quietly. "This is bad...he had to be a Darkness User..." Alviss had a serious and composed look on his face, "Darkness ÄRMs have too many X factors, which make them hard to fight. The same way that Nanashi was forced into a difficult situation in the Second Battle, the safeguard on his helmet restricts Ginta's movements too much!" Jack was frozen in shock. "Is there anyway to beat it?" Snow was sweating with worry as she answered his question, "There are only two...to destroy the ÄRM that cast it, or to use a Holy ÄRM..." Alan swore again as his teeth bit into the end of his cigar. "He's got Ginta in a serious corner!" Amy silently turned her attention to the battlefield, her face eerily smooth and emotionless. _Please figure out something, Ginta...before it's too late._

At this time, there was a puddle pooling around Ginta's feet, and he was beginning to look as though he was losing energy quickly. He looked his opponent straight in the eyes. "You called yourself Kannochi, right? You...why are you in the Chess? Is it because you like to kill people?" Kannochi was silent for a moment before smiling his eerie smile. "I've no interest in murder. The Great Kannochi simply seeks thrills. I find stimulation in the War Game. That's not so bad, is it?" He continued, "My interest lies in this Life or Death 'Game'. If the Great Kannochi loses, death isn't so bad! And beating you definitely isn't bad!"

Ginta's face split into a cocky grin. "You're just a battle freak, then? Then, you're not a bad guy??" Kannochi agreed, "That is more or less correct. It is about the same as you. You don't think it's bad to fight the Chess." Ginta now looked down at his arm, where Babbo now was. "Babbo!" He then closed his eyes, and abruptly the flow of his magic changed. Jack looked freaked out as he considered the only other thing Ginta had that would change his magic flow. "GARGOYLE?!" Alviss quickly said, "No, this is different!" Alan's cigar nearly fell out of his slackened mouth and Amy's eyes were wide with surprise and disbelief. _It feels...soothing...don't tell me it's--_

"Version 4!"

Abruptly, a large amount of energy began to burst out from Ginta's body as Babbo began to change. Amy vaguely saw long hair and a delicate hand in the midst of all that light. Everyone watched with bated breathe, waiting for the smoke to clear.

When it was over, behind Ginta was a tall girl with a halo floating over her long dark hair. Her outfit was quite revealing and looked a bit like one of those French maid outfits, with long socks and platform shoes.

**The Holy Protector, Alice!**

She closed her eyes and stretched out her hands toward Ginta. All at once, the melting stopped and his skin returned to normal. Snow looked both shocked and mortified (at her skimpy outfit) as she stuttered, "Th-the melting is reversing...so this is Babbo-san's 4th power!!" Alan had a look of deep pleasure, "A Guardian with Holy power! The fact that he gained such a power before this fight is beyond lucky!!" Amy had a slitted, cat-eyed looked as she looked testily at Ginta. "Did he HAVE to make her outfit so revealing?"

Ginta posed excitedly as he talked to Kannochi. "YOSH! Now, let's start this one over! Fight me, Kannochi!!"

Amy's face gathered an 'Are-you-stupid?' look. "You were already fighting, you dope..."

Ginta grinned happily, oblivious to Amy's comment. "This time it's a normal fight!"

Kannochi was silent before he murmured, "This is no good...I made a mistake...to use the Body Candle on a fool like you was a mistake..." As he spoke, his body began to show signs of melting. It soon progressed to half of his head melting in on itself and his shoulder being eroded as well. "I should have...started...a normal fight..."

Ginta was horrified as he watched what happened to his opponent, wondering why this was occurring.

"Reparations. A Darkness ÄRM always leaves a condition upon the user."

Amy looked grave as Alviss continued. "And the Body Candle's condition was 'If beaten, the effects are reversed onto the user."

Kannochi was now nothing more than a slippery mass of wax with some of his original features. "Listen! The real fights begin with the Knights! Your true enemies will now show themselves! Don't lose..." All too soon, he melted entirely, only leaving remnants of some wax to show that he had been there. Ginta had his hand stretched out, as though he could have stopped it. Pozun waved his hand to conclude the match.

"Match Four!! Ginta wins and MÄR advances!! However, to ensure that all fighters have a chance to participate, we will hold one extra match!! Now for the final fight!!"

Rolan looked faintly worried as he heard this, but Amy was only really paying attention to Ginta, who was trotting back to his team. He gave the V-sign as he beamed, "I won!! Peace!!" Jack rushed over to Ginta excitedly. "That was awesome, Ginta!! What do ya call that cute girl!?" Ginta was scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "Uhm, Alice!" Jack's face then fell as he looked at Babbo. "But...that's still Babbo-san, isn't it..." Babbo was blushing (if that was even possible for an ÄRM) and angrily spat out, "Don't gimme that look! I don't like it either!" Snow looked disappointed in Ginta. "Rather than your imagination, it looks like it came from some sick delusion! I didn't know you were into that stuff, Ginta, you pervert..." Ginta tried to deny the accusation, "I'M NOT!! I'M NORMAL!!"

"'Normal', eh??"

"Eh?"

CRASH! CLANG! BANG!!

Amy was now standing over Ginta's body, Frying Pan ÄRM leaning on her shoulder as she glared distastefully at him. "If you're so 'normal', then why give her such a skimpy outfit, huh!?" She grabbed him by his shirt and started shaking him back and forth. "I HAD SUCH HIGH HOPES FOR YOU, GINTA!! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BECOME LIKE JACK AND NANASHI!?"

"HEY!" (Jack)

Back in Mär-Heaven

"HEY!" (Nanashi)

"You know it's true..." (Dorothy)

Back to the Battlefield

The rant was still going on. "-AND YOU WERE GONNA BE A ROLE MODEL FOR ALL THE LITTLE KIDS OUT THERE IN MÄR-HEAVEN, AND...AND...and...oooooooh, I give up." The crazy teenager finally released the poor Captain and went to sit in the Corner of Emo-ness (copyrighted by Tamaki Suoh).

Alan looked weirdly at her for a moment before turning to Ginta. "Well, putting the physical form aside, adding that power to Babbo was a good idea. If you didn't have Alice, you would be dead right now." Ginta looked down sadly at the ground. "Yeah...but Kannochi ended up dieing in my place...he...wasn't really one of the bad guys..." Alan's eyes were cold and steely as he looked at Ginta. "It's kill or be killed! I'm sure Kannochi accepted that fate when he decided to join the Chess. So you should it too, Ginta! Remember what the Chess have done!! And think about what they'll do if they beat us here!"

Amy looked up as Alan spoke. Her eyes were shadowed with pain as she remembered the end of the previous War Game. _I lost my home and my brother...I never even got to see him again afterwards...when I was---_

Alan continued, unaware of Amy's internal suffering. "Your old man became our hope! Don't lose your way, Ginta! Fight, Ginta!!" Ginta looked up and determinedly stated, "Yeah."

"For the time being, I'll praise you on living. Now it's my turn." Ginta turned in surprise to look at their remaining fighter. He suddenly remembered Kannochi's final words and worriedly called after him, "Be-be careful, Alviss!!"

Alviss stepped out onto the battlefield with a confident and carefree air.

"Sure."

* * *

I'm going to stop there for now...I hope all of you enjoyed it!! Thankee-sankee for reading!!


	25. Blessings and Curses

I am such a procrastinator...and I sincerely apologize for that. I thought I could update more, but my summer has been filled with various events. Due to school starting in less than 2 weeks for me, I am not sure when my next update will be. I am going to try and post next week as well, but I can't guarantee that I will be able to. Thank you so much for being patient and understanding.

----------------------

crazyasian12 - That's kinda weird that you didn't get an alert for the new chapter...I'm sorry I took so long AGAIN.

9shadowcat9 - *flails arms wildly while being choked* I'm...sorry....please stop choking meeeeeee....

The Ladies Luck - Thank you very much for your constructive criticism! I'm glad that you like my story.

Nozomi Myst - Thank you for reviewing, and good luck on your stories! I'm sure that you'll do great!

MarHeavenAngel - Ah, procrastination. It brings out the worst in us fanfiction writers.

----------------------

Summary: There's this mysterious girl who has joined the War Game. She has no affiliation with any group, and she seems to be a woman on a mission. Who exactly is she and why does she intrigue everyone so, especially Alviss and Phantom?

-----------------------

Pairings: OC x Alviss/Phantom (pairing decided later) & Ginta x Snow

------------------

Disclaimer: Cookie - *sigh* I'm so pathetic.

Ginta - Aw, don't say that.

Nanashi - You just get distracted very easily!!

Snow - And you are going through a lot right now.

Jack - But you spend an awful amount of time on the computer and don't bother working on the story...

Alviss - *smack*

Jack - OW! What was that for?!

Dorothy & Alan - For being an idiot, monkey boy.

(You should know by now I don't own MÄR.)

----------------------------------

_Flashback & Thought & Story & lyrics Mode_

Normal POV

ÄRM – the weapon

**Emphasis Mode**

_**Super Emphasis Mode**_

----------------------------

Well, here is the latest chapter!! Enjoy~, even if it is one of my more serious chapters.

* * *

Chapter 25 - Curses and Blessings

_Recap:_

_"For the time being, I'll praise you on living. Now it's my turn." Ginta turned in surprise to look at their remaining fighter. He suddenly remembered Kannochi's final words and worriedly called after him, "Be-be careful, Alviss!!"_

_Alviss stepped out onto the battlefield with a confident and carefree air. _

_"Sure."_

_: End Recap_

Team MÄR watched as Rolan waved to his partner and dashed off to the center of the battlefield to face off against Alviss. Captain Hook's gaze held expectation and cautiousness within it as he watched the young Knight.

Soon, Alviss and Rolan were staring steadily at each other from their spots on the field.

Alviss' gaze was unwavering and solemn.

_Cross Guard_

_Alviss_

Rolan looked distinctly nervous and was sweating a bit as he gazed back.

_Chess no Koma_

_Rolan_

_CLASS: Knight_

The referee waved his arm, signalling the start of the fight.

"3RD BATTLE, FINAL FIGHT!"

"ALVISS VS. ROLAN!"

"BEGIN!"

As soon as that was said, Alviss immediately stretched out his arms and activated the ÄRM dangling from his hip.

"13 Totem Pole!"

His trademark Totem Poles began to rise from the ground with nearly frightening speed and sped toward the Knight on the other side of the field.

As soon as they got close, Rolan jumped out of the way with a scream of "Iyaaaahn!"

Alviss twitched as he repeated the word with disbelief lacing his voice. Hook's mouth had popped open as he watched the antics of his teammate. Team MÄR had a very similar reaction, and Amy could only say one thing as she witnessed this:

"Dang, it's no wonder I thought he was a girl!"

Rolan continued to dodge the totem poles with shrieks of "No!" and "Kyaah!" before standing still in the midst of all 13 of them.

Suddenly, Amy and Alviss simulateously inhaled in shock. _He dodged all of them?!_

Alan screamed at Alviss, cigar falling out of his mouth, "WATCH OUT! HE'S COMING!"

Rolan tittered a bit nervously, "N-now, I guess..."

His face instantly became coolly collected and calm as he raised his left hand. "It's my turn."

The ring on his index finger, large and square-shaped, began to glow as he activated it.

"Stone Cube!"

Numerous rocks uprooted themselves from the ground and combined to form several giant cubes floating above Rolan as dust began to blow around him.

He then spoke, almost too quietly to hear, "Hanenasai..."

The stones then began to rush towards Alviss, who had been frozen in surprise. He jumped up as soon as they crashed into the spot where he had been standing and landed neatly on top of one. Suddenly, a face appeared on the block and a countdown from 3 began. The cube then exploded with Alviss barely managing to escape.

As the smoke cleared, the extent of Alviss' wounds could clearly be seen as a bleeding forehead and a hurt arm. He spoke hoarsely, "An exploding stone Nature ÄRM!"

Rolan nodded, cheerfully and with his eyes closed, "That is correct~"

As Alviss clutched his right shoulder, a bit of his Zombie Tattoo peeped out from the long sleeve. Rolan looked surprised as he stared openly.

"You...you've been blessed by Phantom, haven't you?"

Alviss could only gape in shock as Rolan pushed up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo that looked quite like the one Alviss had, albeit it wasn't as far down the arm. Rolan had a look of pleasure on his face as he "showed it off".

"Then...we are quite similar, you and I."

Alan had the same reaction Alviss had, Amy covered her hands with her mouth in horror, while Jack and Ginta remained confused.

Suddenly, Alviss began to yell angrily at his opponent. "Why would Phantom put that tattoo on his own ally?! That's the Zombie Tattoo! When that tattoo encompasses your entire body, you'll become a living corpse!!"

Snow and Ginta were shocked, as they considered that this was the curse Alviss himself possessed. Amy could only shake her head as she listened to this.

_No...stop it...stop it..._

Rolan, however, smiled gently in response. "Why do you get so angry?? That is...

The proof that he has chosen you."

As he continued to speak, the Stone Cubes began to rise into the air a second time. "I took the blessing of my own free will...so that I might walk the same path as him."

At this, the blocks once again rushed towards the young Cross Guard member.

He leapt into the air, 13 Totem Pole Staff version in hand, and began to rush towards Rolan. Again, he screamed, "WHY?!"

"Why would someone wish to become a living corpse?! For you to want to be that close to Phantom, why?!"

Alviss slammed into a cube while attempting to get closer to Rolan. The Knight's eyes were oddly calm as he answered.

"Because he is...where I belong."

As the battle continued, Rolan began to talk about his past. He spoke of how his parents died early, forcing him to live alone on the street. He spoke of how people blatantly ignored him, or maybe they _couldn't_ see him.

"But one day, _he_ appeared."

Rolan's voice shown with admiration, as he told of how Phantom gave him food and asked him if he wanted to come with him.

All during his monologue, Alviss was struggling for his life against the exploding cubes.

"And Phantom...taught me many things. He taught me about the sixth sense sleeping inside of me, how to fight, how to live, how to believe that the world is our very own..."

His face suddenly became goofily happy again. "And so, I've become like this. That mark is proof that you have the potential too...are you sure you don't want to join us?"

Alviss' refusal showed itself in his eyes. "You're just being used! Why don't you realize that?!"

Rolan brandished his arm, his gaze suddenly very cold and steely. "I honestly don't mind, as long as I'm of use to him..."

He then activated another ÄRM on his left middle finger. The volcano nearby bubbled and steamed explosively, when all of a sudden a lava-shaped snake burst forth from the crater with a roar.

It twisted and grew larger as Rolan called its name.

"Magma Snake..."

He then spoke the same word used to activate the Stone Cube. It straightened and lurched towards Alviss at breakneck speed.

-------------------------------

INTERMISSION

Amy - N-noooooooooooo! Alviss!!! How could you stop there?!

Cookie - *calmly looks up from sipping tea* It seemed appropriate at the time. *goes back to sipping tea*

Amy - What?! And how could you not have put me in the disclaimer?!

Cookie - *looks up again* I dunno. I just felt like it, I suppose. *goes back again*

Amy - QUIT DRINKING TEA, DARN YOU!!

Cookie - ...*sip*

Amy - GRAAHHHH!!!

Cookie - Whoopsie, would you look at the time? We really must be getting back to the story!

Amy - DARN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

--------------------------

The Magma Snake slammed the side of its body into Alviss' stomach and he slammed into the ground, unable to move.

Amy finally snapped out of her silent mode and screamed.

"ALVISS!!"

At that exact moment, the Magma Snake hurtled down to his location, shattering all the rock around him.

Rolan watched emotionlessly as the Magma Snake dealt this final blow and as Team MÄR watched in horror as the snake hardened into rock. Amy slumped to her knees, staring blankly ahead with her mouth ajar.

Suddenly, Rolan looked up at his ÄRM, which was beginning to crack. It then shattered entirely to reveal a giant Totem Pole with Alviss gazing determinedly at the Knight. He then stepped out of the remains of the Magma Snake that surrounded him. He was breathing heavily, and sweat ran down his face.

Alan (who replaced his lost cigar) began to speak, partly to himself. "Too reckless with the ÄRM," he muttered. "He used to much strength!"

He then gave the 16 year old a penetrating stare. "Your strength is at its limits! Accept your loss, Alviss!"

Pozun turned to the combatant in question. "Are you going to give up, Alviss?"

He stared blankly at the ground for a moment before looking up. Exhaustion was clearly conveyed in his eyes, but he then took a step forward. One foot in front of the other, he started moving towards Rolan. The Chess no Koma member looked both surprised and admiring, but Ginta was not so happy.

"ALVISS, YOU DUMMY! DON'T BE AN IDIOT! YOU'LL DIE!!"

"Stop it, Ginta."

He stopped ranting to stare at the oddly quiet 15 year old girl who had been sitting on the ground.

She smiled sadly, "His pride and his courage are on the line here...he feels that he has to prove himself."

Babbo nodded in agreement. "He does not want to lose...to the Chess no Koma...or to you, Ginta."

Rolan, on the other hand, was stammering nervously, "I-I don't...If I can help it, I'd rather not kill you...so please give up, Alviss-san...or else, I..."

The exploding Stone Cubes rose up around the nearly unconcious teen.

"I-I will blow you up..."

Alviss breathed heavily while staring at the cubes out of the corner of his eye.

"High Speed...13 Totem Pole!"

Before Rolan could react, one Totem Pole shot up right in front of his face and grazed him slightly. He stepped away from, stunned and unaware of the blood coming from the cut on his face.

"I give up..."

Alviss's eyes glittered as he considered the future's possibilities. "As I am right now, I can't defeat a Knight. But I know where I fall short! There's one thing I lack, and that's my Magic Stamina!"

Rolan was still motionless and stared at Alviss as he continued to speak.

"I'll catch up to you soon..."

Pozun then loudly interrupted Alviss to proclaim the winner.

"WINNER! CHESS NO KOMA! ROLAN!"

As soon as those words left the lizard's mouth, Amy was rushing forward towards Alviss. In a corner of her mind, she noted that Rolan seemed pleased with this turn of events, but paid no attention to it.

Alviss looked a bit surprised as she came towards him, but only murmured her name quietly. Then, she did something that surprised all of them.

She grabbed Alviss' jacket collar and began shaking him as hard as she possibly could, all the while screaming at him.

"ALVISS, YOU-YOU IDIOT!! DID YOU EVER THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF ROLAN DECIDED TO BLOW YOU UP FOR GRAZING HIS FACE LIKE?! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!"

"A-Amy, I--"

"YOU ARE A GREAT, BIG IDIOT, ALVISS, AND...and...and..."

She lifted her face to reveal tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I was so worried...I thought you had died back there...I thought I lost you..."

His gaze softened considerably and he stroked the top of her head before hugging her close.

"I'm sorry." He said only loud enough for her to hear. "I'll become strong enough so that something like this doesn't happen again, ok?"

She sniffled and nodded while burying her face in his jacket.

Observing this tender scene blankly, Pozun lifted his Andarta ÄRM.

"THE 3RD BATTLE IS OVER! ALL LIVING FIGHTERS BACK TO REGINRAVE!"

They all teleported back to the castle and landed neatly on the ground. Amy let go of Alviss and wiped her eyes and smiled shakily at Alviss, who smiled gently back. Ginta gleefully called out to their two other comrades that had been left behind. "We're back, Dorothy and Nanashi! Lots happened, but we managed to win!"

Dorothy and Nanashi, however, were staring up at the castle with solemn visages, causing Ginta to blink in confusion. The other people in Reginrave Castle Square were also staring and pointing up, with fear in their faces.

"That look..."

"He's alive..."

"HE CAME BACK TO LIFE!!"

Standing near the top of the castle were two men. One of them had a mask covering the bottom half of his face, shades, messy brown hair, and looked no older than Rolan, while the other one was the smiling slightly and had lavender hair.

The look in his visible eye, however, showed barely concealed madness and cruelty.

Ginta stared blankly up at the two as he spoke, "You're..."

He then grinned happily. "Tom! Tom from Vestory!!" He waved at him, grin widening even more. "Hey, how've ya been?"

Babbo and Amy, the ones who had met this same person, were crouched into defensive positions.

Babbo's hissed, teeth bared, "So the feeling I had back then was this!!"

Ginta looked increasingly confused as he stared at his ÄRM partner and team members react differently. Snow looked apprehensive while Alviss was rubbing his arm while staring heatedly up at him.

Amy had a look of downright fury as she stared at him. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to trust you!"

Alan then spoke, intending to clear confusion, "You must be missing something, Ginta! He's

_**The leader of the Chess no Koma, Phantom!!**_"

Ginta was stunned speechless as he stared up at the leader of their enemies, and, ultimately, the murderer of his father. His expression became increasingly more shocked and enraged at the same time. Phantom's expression was coolly distant and mockingly evil at the same time.

The hotheaded 14 year old then grabbed Babbo. "YOU--DON'T MOVE!!--I'LL KILL--" Babbo frantically tried to calm Ginta down, and Alan was tensed up, looking as though _he _was trying to resist jumping up there and attacking himself.

"You're the one who shouldn't move! As you are now, you couldn't even put a scratch on him!"

Alviss also spoke, "Burn him into your mind."

"He is the one enemy that we must defeat!"

Suddenly,** he** spoke.

"Rolan...you did well. I'm quite proud of you."

Rolan, who had been standing quietly on the sidelines all the while, blushed happily from the praise. "Th-thank you very much! It's an honor, Phantom..."

Phantom fixed his steely gaze upon Team MÄR. "The Cross Guard, MÄR, and Amy-chan...you have proved quite interesting as well..." He then chuckled.

"It would appear that all 13 of you have finally taken interest in this game."

Suddenly, behind Phantom and the other man (who was quietly observing this entire scene), appeared 11 other people.

A man with long hair and a pointy hat, Halloween (who intervened for Alan's participation and appeared at the Snow Castle), Chimera (who defeated Gaira during the selection round), 5 completely cloaked figures, a skull-masked person, an old man with a tree growing on his head, and a woman wearing a mask, leotard, and a beret were all standing close to their leader.

Dorothy looked slightly disappointed, while Nanashi remarked quietly, "Their magic's incredible...those 12."

Alan had a maniacal grin on his face as he stated with grim humor, "Adding in Rolan, that makes 13. The 13 Zodiac!!"

Phantom's face suddenly took on a friendly smile as he called somewhat happily, "Ne, Ginta!"

All of sudden, his face became crazed with hate, bloodlust, and insanity.

"_**I hate this world!! I can't stand the stench of it!!**_"

Ginta had a quietly angry look as he listened to this madman.

"Flowers, trees, rocks, water, birds, forests, towns, mountains...but what stinks the most...is humanity."

The Zodiac members stood solemnly, in direct contrast to the severity of Phantom's words.

"Forcing the world to revolve around them; they hurt other people, get jealous and envious, yet always believe they are correct. Jealousy, hatred, betrayal, disrespect, arrogance, deception...that is the true essence of humanity...it's revolting. It's so vile, I get nauseous just thinking about it."

His eyes were slitted with madness and pleasure from thinking about destruction. "No one's honest. They're all fools.

_**So I've decided to kill them all**_."

"The members of the Chess have all given up on this world. Or, to put it another way, the world has thrown them all away. That is why we have come together."

Then, Phantom stretched out his hand toward Ginta in a gesture of invitation.

"So how about it? If you asked, I wouldn't be against letting you join us..."

"**You must be kidding!!**"

Ginta gazed furiously and defiantly up at the Chess leader. His eyes then lit up with an unstoppable resolve as he spoke again.

"**What you're doing is just as egotistical! And I'll take you down!!**"

In response to this, Phantom's eyes merely looked pitying and somewhat disappointed.

"You really do speak just like Danna. How very regrettable...wouldn't you agree?"

At this, he turned to the man who had been standing silently by him this entire time. The young man pulled off his shades and pulled his face mask down to reveal an oddly familiar face...

Only Amy snapped out of her stunned state long enough to whisper.

"_**Adrian?**_"

* * *

I'm sorry if I made this too obvious earlier in the story... I also felt like this chapter could have been better. My brother and I were talking about my story (He used to be a fan of MÄR), and our conversation went a bit like this:

"So, Ginta isn't the main character?" (brother)

"Well, this story is from my OC's point of view, so it doesn't follow Ginta, but he is still the one that saves MÄR Heaven." (me)

"Your OC is stronger than Ginta, isn't she?" (bro)

*sigh* I really didn't intend for that to be the case, and I hope no one takes it that way...thankee-sankee for waiting, and please leave a review!


	26. Very Important Author's Note

Okay, I know this isn't exactly the chapter you have been hoping for, but I really need to ask you guys:

Do you want me to continue this story or not?

I haven't been the best at updating regularly (And I'd like to apologize for making you all wait), but the past few years have been very hectic for me. I've moved twice, changed schools, had trouble with grades, a friend of my family passed away, the website I use for the MAR manga chapters is shutting down, and I haven't been very motivated to write. I know these seem like excuses, but honestly, I need to know if you're still interested in this story. I looked back at the old chapters and frankly, I'm a little embarrassed by the poor quality of the story. Granted, I started this story back in middle school, and I'm now a senior in high school, but I still wrote this goofy story.

So, here's what I'm planning.

If you really really want me to finish up this story, then let me know in a review or private message. While I had initially planned to make a sequel once I finished this story (that would follow the plot of MAR Omega, the manga sequel), I have decided against it and will just end the story with an epilogue. If you don't care about me finishing the story or don't want me to, let me know in a review as well. I want to get an idea of how many supporters for the story there are.

So, let me know as soon as possible, you guys. Thanks for all your support, and I apologize for not being good with updating.

- Cookie2718


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